The morning in Huelva began with silence and tears. The entire region seemed frozen after the news broke that 17 residents of the province would not be returning home following the horrific train accident in Adamuz, near Córdoba. Last night, when authorities officially confirmed the victims’ identities, all hope faded. Families and friends, who had recently been desperately searching for any news, are now forced to come to terms with an irreparable loss.
The day before, social media was filled with photos of the missing, along with their names and stories. Among them were two residents of Lepe: 27-year-old Miriam Alberico, who was traveling in the first car, and Andrés Gallardo Vaz, a Corrections officer accompanying his students to an exam in Madrid. Their search ended in tragedy. No less tragic was the fate of two women from Isla Cristina — Pepi Sosa and Ana Martín Sosa, who were also en route to the exam and disappeared on that fateful day.
Hopes Lost
Gibraleón is mourning José María Martín and Eduardo Domínguez. One had simply wanted to spend the weekend in the capital, the other hoped for success at the exam. Their hometown is in mourning, and Mayor Lourdes Martín does not hide her despair: “The loss is irreparable, everyone is in shock.”
Among the victims was a married couple from La Palma del Condado who had traveled to Madrid to visit their son. The husband has been identified among the deceased, while the wife’s fate remains unknown. Another woman from this town, who was on her way to take an exam, is currently fighting for her life in a Córdoba hospital. Also in intensive care is the son of Natividad de la Torre from Huelva, whose mother and three grandchildren were also injured.
Family tragedies
The hardest blow fell on Punta Umbría, where the Zamorano Álvarez family lost four members in a single night: the parents, their 12-year-old son, and a nephew. They had traveled to Madrid to see a Real Madrid match, but only their six-year-old daughter miraculously returned home unharmed. Later that evening, another victim from the city was confirmed—Rafael Millán, who was also traveling for an exam and had been reported missing. There is still no news on the fate of Rocío Díaz, another Punta Umbría resident.
In Huelva, people are also mourning Ricardo Chamorro, another prison service officer who accompanied a group of students. Among the dead are journalists María Clauss and Óscar Toro, whose names were among the first to appear on the official list of victims.
A shared grief
The entire province seems united in grief. Every city, every family has its own stories, its own losses. People cannot believe that a routine trip to the capital turned into such a tragedy. Many of the victims were traveling for exams, some to visit relatives, others just to spend the weekend. Now, their names will forever remain in the memory of their fellow residents.
Hospitals in Córdoba are still fighting to save the injured. Relatives wait anxiously outside the wards, hoping for a miracle. But even those who survive will never be the same. The province of Huelva is living through one of the darkest days in its history. This day will echo for a long time in the hearts of all who have lost their loved ones.
