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A six-year old girl has been left orphaned in the high-speed Spanish rail crash which is believed to have claimed the lives of at least 39 people.
Jose Zamorano and shop owner Cristina Alvarez were travelling back from Malaga with their 12-year-old son, Pepe Zamorano, their daughter and their cousin Felix Zamorano when their train crashed yesterday.
The family were returning from Madrid to Huelva, a southern Spanish city, after going to see the Lion King musical and watching Real Madrid beat Levante at the Santiago Bernabeu stadium when the tragedy occurred.
The crash happened when the tail end of a train carrying 300 passengers on the route from Malaga to Madrid went off the rails at 7.45pm local time (6.45pm GMT).
It slammed into the incoming train, which the Zamorano family was onboard. The six-year-old has not been named publicly.
Family and friends had launched appeals for the youngster’s missing parents, brother and cousin earlier today amid fears they had died in the crash.
While the mayor of Punta Umbria, Jose Carlos Hernandez Casino, initially said Pepe had survived, he later confirmed he had also been killed in the accident.
Cristina Alvarez (pictured) tragically died in the high-speed Spanish rail crash on Sunday night
The unnamed orphaned girl was looked after overnight by a police officer and is said to be practically unharmed.
She is now resting with her grandmother in a hotel in Cordoba after having three stitches to a head wound.
It was not clear this afternoon if she knows what has happened to her relatives.
The collision took place near Adamuz, a town in the province of Cordoba, about 230 miles south of Madrid.
Spanish police said 159 people were injured, of whom five were in critical condition. A further 24 were in serious condition, authorities said.
Pepe Zamorano, 12, (pictured, left) and cousin Felix Zamorano (pictured, right) also died in the tragic crash
Transport minister Oscar Puente said the death toll was not final.
Mr Hernandez Casino said in a social media message: ‘I was reluctant to do so because it appealed to hope, but after confirming the discovery of the bodies of the Zamorano Alvarez family members who had been missing since last night as a result of the train accident, I have declared three days of official mourning.
‘We are experiencing these moments with deep sadness and pain. However, we remain hopeful that the two residents of Punta Umbria who are still missing will be found alive, and we continue to closely monitor the progress of the search efforts.
‘I share in the grief of all the families affected and convey to them the support, respect and solidarity of the entire Municipal Corporation and all citizens.
‘During the three days of mourning, flags will fly at half-mast on municipal buildings and all planned institutional events will be suspended as a sign of respect and mourning.’
The town hall published a similar statement.
An old friend of Cristina’s, called Sori Ruiz, responded by writing: ‘My deepest condolences to the family. May God give them comfort. This is a great loss for everyone.
‘I was shocked by the news. Cristina was my classmate at school, and we spent many years together.
‘May God rest her soul and give comfort to her family. 😔 I cannot imagine the pain felt by her family and loved ones.’
Early this morning, a woman called Lucia Morales Blanco published a message on X saying: ‘A family of four from Huelva are still missing. Their names are: Felix Zamorano; Jose Zamorano; Cristina Alvarez and Pepe Zamorano (son).
‘Please, even the smallest piece of information would be of great help, such as people who were on the train or saw these people for a moment.’
Journalist Oscar Toro, and his photojournalist wife Maria Clauss, are among those who died in the train crash.
Jaime de Vicente Nunez, president of the Iberoamerican Cultural Association, said: ‘Huelva is in mourning. Our Ibero-American Cultural Association is in mourning. Maria Clauss and Oscar Toro, friends and members of our Association, great professionals and, above all, people of extraordinary human quality, have passed away.
‘May they rest in peace and may we always remember their fruitful work and warm humanity.’
Friend Gabriel Cruz wrote in a tribute: ‘Incredulous and stunned. A tragedy that devastates us. Deep sorrow for the victims and their families, for the friend who is gone. Oscar Toro and María Claus were travelling on that train. With them, a little piece of ourselves is gone. Kind and generous people.
‘I was fortunate to share many moments of friendship and camaraderie with Oscar, both in his role as President of the Huelva Journalists’ Association and as a councillor in the socialist group. Also outside the workplace.
‘All my love to the families of the victims. A kiss for María and Oscar.’
Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez declared three days of national mourning for the victims.
First pictures of the crash site on Monday morning, with the number of dead ‘not final’ (Picture: REUTERS)
Aerial images show the true scale of the crash (Picture: AFP)
‘Today is a day of pain for all of Spain,’ Mr Sanchez said on a visit to Adamuz, where many locals helped emergency services handle the influx of passengers overnight.
A sports centre was turned into a makeshift hospital and the Spanish Red Cross set up a help centre offering assistance to emergency services and people seeking information. Members of Spain’s civil guard and civil defence worked on-site throughout the night.
Spain’s transport minister Oscar Puente early on Monday said the cause of the crash was unknown.
He called it ‘a truly strange’ incident because it happened on a flat stretch of track that had been renovated in May.
Alvaro Fernandez, the president of Renfe, told Spanish public radio RNE that both trains were well under the speed limit of 250kph (155mph). He said one was going at 205kph (127mph) and the other at 210kph (130mph). He also said that “human error could be ruled out”.
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