Spanish village holds memorial mass for train crash victims

A memorial Mass was held in Urda, a small Spanish village near the site of a devastating high-speed train collision, to honor the victims who lost their lives. The pews of the San Juan Bautista church were filled to capacity, while many more gathered outside to listen to the service. Tears were seen as people paid their respects.

The cause of one of Europe's deadliest rail disasters this century remains under investigation, following a crash on Wednesday when a train traveling from Madrid to Seville collided with a stationary train.

Archbishop Francisco Cerro of Toledo acknowledged that there are no words that can comfort those who have lost loved ones. He urged the public not to forget the tragedy, calling for such disasters to never happen again. Cerro praised the emergency service workers and volunteers, hailing the "genuine wave of solidarity." The Castilla-La Mancha regional president, Emiliano Garcia-Page, and Urda Mayor Manuel Galan attended the service.

Urda, with a population of around 2,500, is deeply affected by the tragedy. The village pharmacist, 78-year-old Antonio Garcia Colina, rushed to the crash scene in his car after it occurred to assist the injured and witnessed several people dying. He described the scene as "hellish." Relatives of the victims, who have provided DNA samples to aid in identification, face an agonizing wait for news as rescue teams work to sift through the wreckage and forensic experts identify the bodies.

So far, 56 out of the 69 people killed have been identified, with 54 being Spanish nationals and two foreigners – one French and one Portuguese. This train crash marks Spain's second major rail disaster this year; in January, 46 people were killed when one train derailed and struck another on the same route near Adamuz.