Urda train collision: mass honours 69 victims, Toledo cathedral funeral announced

The collision

On Wednesday, 28 October, a train travelling from Madrid to Seville struck a stopped train at high speed near the village of Urda in the province of Toledo. At least 69 people died in the crash, and SAPO reported that more than 540 people had been travelling on the two high-speed trains. Investigators are still working to establish the cause, which reports place among the deadliest rail accidents in Europe since the start of the century. Among the dead is a Portuguese national.

Mass in Urda

On Saturday, 31 October, a mass for the victims filled the San Juan Bautista church in Urda, a village of about 2,500 people, while dozens more gathered outside to follow the service. The mass was presided over by Archbishop of Toledo Francisco Cerro Chaves and concelebrated by auxiliary bishop Francisco César García Magán. The image of the Santísimo Cristo de la Vera Cruz was brought from its basilica for the ceremony and decorated with 69 roses, one for each victim officially confirmed so far. Castilla-La Mancha president Emiliano García-Page, Urda mayor Manuel Galán and Toledo mayor Carlos Velázquez attended, along with security force representatives and some relatives of the dead. No member of the Spanish government attended the service. Before the mass, Galán told Spanish public broadcaster TVE that residents were deeply affected and needed a great deal of support.

Identification and hospital care

Authorities have finished the autopsies on all 69 victims, and 36 had been formally identified by Saturday. Reports cited 34 people still in hospital, 15 of them in intensive care. SAPO said that in the early hours of Saturday, 34 people were being treated in four hospitals in Castilla-La Mancha. The identification and hospital figures are the latest available as of 31 October.

Confirmed dead69

Identified36

Hospitalized34

In intensive care15

Confirmed dead

69

Identified

36

Hospitalized

34

In intensive care

15

Data from the article text

Archbishop's message and funeral plans

During the homily, Cerro described the days after the crash as a Good Friday for everyone and acknowledged that no words could bring relief to those who had lost loved ones. He told the families they were not alone, that society was with them, and urged the public not to forget the tragedy and to learn to care more for life. He thanked the health workers, firefighters, police and rescue teams, and praised the volunteers, including residents of Urda and nearby villages who came forward without knowing what they would find. He announced a funeral for the victims at Toledo cathedral, in which the whole ecclesiastical province of Castilla-La Mancha will take part.