An "impressive thud" and calls to family members: the tragedy experienced by the residents of Urda

Urda (Toledo)In recent days, residents of Urda have become the involuntary protagonists of an accident that will leave indelible marks on this small town seventy kilometers from Toledo. They are a host of anonymous people who did not hesitate to approach the scene of the events, who were at the forefront from the very first moment to help the victims. Now, still in shock, they remember a few hours that have changed their lives. Nor will the passenger of another high-speed train that was covering the route from Seville to Madrid, and which stopped 500 meters from the accident, forget it.

Tamara, resident of Urda

"I told the wife of an injured man that we must have a coffee when he recovers"

How and when did you find out that there had been an accident?

— I knew it a few minutes after the tragedy happened. Without thinking, we took the cars and went to ground zero.

What did you do there?

— The accident was horrible. People running, people scared, people covered in blood. The first thing we did was start treating the minor injuries. We gave them some support, hugs, we talked to them a little. A medical team taught me how to set up the IV. You do everything that comes to you, everything they tell you. I am not a healthcare worker, but on Wednesday I considered myself one.

Were you able to speak with the injured?

— Yes. They were conscious, I asked them their names and how they were. It was very curious because they told me they were fine, but that they were very scared. The word that was repeated the most was this one: fear. And one of the first times I attended to an injured person, my boss said: "If they know their phone number, call their family." And I started to ask them. Right away, I began calling the family members.

How were the families?

— They were expecting this call. For better or for worse. They were in shock, but I sensed relief in them. This has marked me deeply.

Have you maintained contact with any of the injured or their family members?

— On Thursday I called all the families. Only one did not answer the phone. Everyone was stable within the severity of their condition. But I am quite worried about one of the families of a boy whose name I cannot remember. I have called quite a few times and they have not answered the phone. I would like him to call me back; for me, it is very important to know if he is okay.

What did the families you were able to speak with tell you?

— They are grateful. Thank you, thank you, thank you. One of them is Mario. His wife told me that he has asked about me, she said that I am his angel. The only thing I could say to his wife is that we have to have a coffee when he recovers because I would like this to go beyond this help. She told me that this coffee is a done deal. I will go wherever I have to go. And I wish I could have one with everyone I helped.

And how are you?

— I am in shock. I still cannot believe what has happened. You have a mix of feelings that will be hard to forget. These hands that did not know how and did not see themselves capable of doing something of this nature did it. I am proud to have been able to help.

How will the people be able to be restored?

— I don't know. Time will heal the wounds. It is very difficult to know how we will move forward. Right now I am a block of iron, but when it falls, I know the blow will be hard.

Alejo, resident of Urda

"I heard an impressive thud and a chilling silence"

What were you doing on Wednesday morning?

— Usually in the morning I take my bicycle. When I was near the tracks, I saw that the Iryo train was losing speed until it stopped. I found it curious and wanted to approach it to see the train's cabin. When I arrived, there were some cows that were grazing and I took a photograph of the landscape. But I continued my route. I had gone about four or five kilometers when I heard an impressive bang. Like a bomb. And I attributed it to another train having crashed into the one that was stopped. It seemed impossible to me that it could happen.

What did he do next?

— I turned around, started to go down, and began to hear some sirens. I got closer and saw that the two trains had collided and that a little smoke was coming out. And a chilling silence, you couldn't hear a pin drop.

Was he alone?

— The estate manager appeared with a pickup truck. And he approached the fence, which was the closest point to the train. Ambulances, doctors, police, and firefighters were arriving. They didn't know where the entry point was. I stayed there pointing out to them that the entrance was a little further ahead until the man from the estate cut the fence. We removed it and they started to pass through there.

How were the injured?

— Those who were better off, who could walk, did not know what had happened to them, they were totally disoriented. They had blood on their faces and clothes. At twelve o'clock, a Civil Guard officer arrived and told me that no civilians could be there. And I had to go back down home.

How does a town recover from a blow like this?

— It is hard. A few days ago we had a DANA and many premises and houses were flooded. And now this. Although it is different, it is also hard for you to digest and to wrap your head around it. You don't believe it will come near you. We will have to get through it as best we can, little by little.

Feli, neighbor from Urda

"It's as if it had been a nightmare"

Where were you on Wednesday morning?

— I was at home and I heard a siren, but I didn't pay much attention to it. Later it was when my daughters, who live away, called me and I found out what was happening.

Did he go near the pavilion? What did he see?

— I helped by cleaning wounds with saline and gauze and distributing bottles of water or food to those who wanted some. The doctors were really the ones who did the heavy lifting.

Were you able to speak with any of the injured?

— I asked them how they were, but they didn't have the strength to speak. They were grateful that you were there, but they were in shock.

How are the townspeople now?

— It is as if it had been a nightmare. I mean, I still cannot quite believe it. Later on, with time, I imagine I will manage it, but right now I do not know, it is a somewhat strange feeling.

How do you think the town can move on from a tragedy like this?

— I don't know, I imagine with time. You talk to several people who were there and the next day everyone slept poorly.

Ramón Rubio

"When sticking my head out the door, the Iryo could be seen perfectly"

Where was it Wednesday morning?

— I had taken a train from Seville to Madrid that left at five past six in the morning. The train driver warned us that we were running late because there were speed restrictions. I remember that in the last half hour we stopped three or four times. When I saw that the stop was dragging on, I went to the cafeteria. It was 9:08. At half past nine, someone in the carriage said that their relatives had written to them saying that there had been an accident. Almost from the first moment we were left without power, there was no air conditioning and the toilets were not flushing.

When were you able to leave?

— At ten o'clock, when it was already very hot, we were allowed to open the doors, and when we poked our heads out the door we saw the red front of the Iryo perfectly. We were right in front, about 500 meters away. A group of kids called 112: "They told me that whoever can help should go over there". Thirty or forty people went. That was when we started to become aware of it. There was already news of deaths.

How long were you there?

— At twelve o'clock they put up a ladder so they could go and get some air. Inside it was unbearably hot. The people had remained inside the carriage crowded near the open doors.

What did they tell you?

— We were told that a train would come to tow "these trains". We said: "But why these three?". "You are the third ones", they answered us. There was an Iryo, which was also stopped, and behind the Iryo there was another one.

What did you think when you saw the Iryo?

— We were calm, but it didn't seem real. There was a feeling of not really knowing where we were. The phrase the whole time was the same: "How lucky, how lucky, how lucky". I don't know if it was a manual or automatic brake, but from the driver's cabin, the Iryo could be seen perfectly.

Did you receive calls from friends or family?

— Since eight o'clock I had been writing WhatsApp messages to family and friends saying "This AVE thing is crazy, there are still incidents". Maybe the last messages they saw were these. I started talking to my wife at ten past nine. Maybe they knew the magnitude before I did and for twenty or thirty minutes they had no response from me.

How were you able to return and how was the journey back to Urda?

— In theory they were going to tow us with the diesel locomotive, but suddenly a bus arrived that was going to Urda. I saw it from afar and ran out because I wanted to get to Madrid because I had an event. When we arrived, the press threw themselves at us as if we had been on the crashed train. They did not know that there was another train, they had no idea.