Panamanian Survives Deadly Train Collision in Spain. ‘The Impact Threw me Several Meters’.

Panamanian Nicolás Tribaldos, 27, survived the collision between two high-speed trains that occurred on the morning of Wednesday, October 28, in Spain, an accident that left dozens dead and numerous injured.  Tribaldos, who lives in Panama and was in Spain as a tourist, was traveling in carriage number five of an AVE high-speed train when the collision occurred, about 150 kilometers south of Madrid.

Speaking to the Spanish newspaper El País, he described the impact as a sudden jolt and said he didn’t feel the train attempt to brake.  “I can say with certainty that the train did not try to brake, it was a sudden jolt,” the young man told the Spanish media outlet.  The force of the impact threw him several meters inside the train car, where he ended up hitting a table. As a result, he suffered severe chest contusions, though he expressed gratitude for having survived the accident.

“The impact sent me flying several meters. I hit a table and now have severe chest contusions, but I’m grateful to be alive.” says Nicholas Tribaldos.

He Escaped Through a Broken Window.

In the midst of the emergency, Tribaldos managed to escape the train car after breaking a window. Describing the damage he observed, he explained that the destruction was uneven across the different compartments of the train.  “Car five didn’t break apart and we were able to get off more easily. The first two cars were like they were made of paper,” he said, referring to the condition of the first cars of the train.  After leaving the train, the Panamanian highlighted the help he received in Urda, where residents and merchants showed solidarity with the affected passengers and provided them with food.  “I am very grateful to the people of Urda, who welcomed us, and to the businesses that donated food to us,” he said.

He Went to a Hospital in Madrid.

Tribaldos then went to La Paz Hospital in Madrid on his own. He explained that he made this decision because he believed the hospitals closest to the accident site might be overwhelmed by the number of injured people.  The young man will remain in the emergency room to undergo x-rays to assess the injuries he sustained during the impact and to determine his diagnosis.  While receiving medical attention, her testimony adds to the accounts of those who lived through the train accident, which left at least 68 dead, according to reports cited in the information provided.