6-year-old girl the only survivor of her family in Spain train crash, had escaped barefoot through a broken window

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• At least 42 killed in high-speed train collision near Cordoba, Spain
• Six-year-old girl survived crash with minor injuries, lost family members
• Spain's king and queen visited the site; cause of collision under investigation

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At least 42 people were killed and several others injured after two high-speed trains collided near Spain’s southern province of Cordoba on Sunday. Amid the devastation, a six-year-old girl survived the crash with only minor injuries, offering a rare moment of relief in an otherwise tragic incident.

According to The Associated Press, the child was found barefoot on the railway tracks by a Civil Guard officer after she escaped from the wrecked train through a broken window. She was taken to hospital, where she received three stitches on her head. A relative later said she was in good health. The mayor of Punta Umbria, the town her family belonged to, also expressed relief that the girl was out of danger.

Speaking after leading a minute of silence for the victims, Punta Umbria mayor José Carlos Hernández said that while many lives were lost in the accident, some passengers did survive. “…like the miracle of the girl who is safe,” he said.

Tragically, the girl lost several members of her family in the crash. Her parents, brother and a cousin were among those killed. They had been seated in the front carriages, which suffered the maximum impact when a train travelling in the opposite direction suddenly jumped the track.

The child is currently staying with her grandparents at a hotel in Cordoba, the closest major city to the accident site.

Spanish authorities have said the exact cause of the collision is still under investigation. In his initial comments, Transport Minister Oscar Puente described the crash as “very strange,” noting that both the trains and the tracks involved were relatively new.

Spain’s king and queen visited the crash site on Tuesday and met survivors of the accident, which left more than 120 people injured.

The tragedy was followed by another rail incident in the country just days later. On Tuesday, a commuter train struck debris from a collapsed wall and derailed on tracks connecting Sant Sadurní and Gelida in the Barcelona region. According to Bloomberg, at least one person was killed and nearly 37 others were injured. The Catalan rail network Rodalies Catalunya confirmed the incident in a post on X.