A devastating collision between two high-speed trains in Spain’s southern Cordoba region on Sunday (January 18) claimed at least 42 lives and left many others injured. Amid the tragedy, a 6-year-old girl survived against the odds.
According to the news agency Associated Press, a Civil Guard officer found the child barefoot on the railway tracks after she escaped through a shattered train window. She suffered a minor head injury and received three stitches at a hospital, but is otherwise in stable condition, a relative said.
The mayor of Punta Umbria, the hometown of the girl’s family, expressed relief at her survival while mourning those who died. Speaking after a minute of silence for the victims, Mayor Jose Carlos Hernandez described the girl’s survival as “a miracle” amid the widespread loss of life. Tragically, the child lost her parents, brother, and a cousin in the crash. They were seated in the front carriages, which absorbed the strongest impact when an oncoming train derailed and struck their train.
The girl is currently staying with her grandparents at a hotel in Cordoba, the closest major city to the crash site.
Spanish officials have not yet determined what caused the collision. Transport Minister Oscar Puente said early indications were puzzling, noting that both the trains and the railway infrastructure were relatively new.
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Spain’s king and queen visited the crash site on Tuesday, meeting survivors of the accident, which injured more than 120 people. In a separate incident the same day, another rail accident struck near Barcelona. A commuter train ran into debris from a collapsed wall and derailed along the Sant Sadurni–Gelida line, killing at least one person and injuring nearly 37 others, according to Bloomberg and Catalan rail operator Rodalies Catalunya.

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