Spanish Prime Minister Pedro S\u00e1nchez said he was \u201cdeeply saddened\u201d by the crash and said emergency services were working to assist those affected. \u201cMy heartfelt sympathy, solidarity, and support go out to all the victims and their families,\u201d he wrote on X. <\/p>\n
His sentiments were echoed by Spain\u2019s royal family who said they shared \u201cin the grief of the families and loved ones of those who lost their lives.\u201d<\/p>\n
Spanish political parties said Wednesday they would briefly pause campaigning ahead of next month\u2019s general election. Spain\u2019s football federation also said it would postpone some of its Copa del Rey soccer fixtures, following the collision.<\/p>\n
The full scale of the disaster remains unclear but officials said an emergency phone line had been set up for families of the victims; local blood banks had also made appeals for donations.<\/p>\n
Manuel Galan, the mayor of the nearby municipality of Urda, said he had been asked by emergency services to prepare a sports hall to accommodate the injured. <\/p>\n
00:47<\/p>\n
Train collision in Spain kills at least 30 people<\/p>\n
00:0000:00<\/p>\n
Eduarda, a passenger on the Iryo train, told Spain\u2019s Cadena SER radio that she felt a strong impact that threw her forward and she initially thought the train had made an emergency stop.<\/p>\n
After climbing down an embankment to safety, she said she saw part of the train hanging down the slope and a fire in one carriage. \u201cI saw dead people,\u201d she added.<\/p>\n
Emergency responders, including a helicopter, police and ambulances, arrived within about 20 minutes, she said. <\/p>\n
The crash comes 10 months after a deadly collision in January <\/a>between high-speed trains run by the same operators, Renfe and Iryo, on the same line between Madrid to Seville. <\/p>\n