Royals Attend Mass for 69 Urda Crash Victims

King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia attended a memorial Mass at Toledo Cathedral for the 69 people killed in the October 28 high-speed train collision near Urda; 28 people remain hospitalized. The collision involved a high-speed train and a stationary train on the Madrid-Seville line, and the crash investigation is ongoing. Spain’s Transport Minister Óscar Puente resigned last week, while Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez was absent from the service amid political pressure ahead of the November 29 election. Investigators are examining the crash, and the EU’s independent prosecutor is investigating alleged fraud involving funds for safety upgrades on the line, where another deadly collision occurred earlier this year. Mourners paid tribute to victims, and Toledo’s archbishop called for the causes to be established, responsibility assigned and steps taken to prevent another disaster.