Cambridge researcher identified among victims of Spanish train disaster
A University of Cambridge scientist has been confirmed dead following a major rail accident in Spain that claimed the lives of at least 69 individuals. Dr. Marta Shahbazi, who served as a group leader at the Medical Research Council (MRC) Laboratory of Molecular Biology (LMB) and held a position as an affiliate associate professor at the University of Cambridge, was aboard one of the trains involved in the collision near Urda, located south of Madrid.
The tragic event occurred when a Renfe high-speed train struck a stationary Iryo passenger train from behind. The accident is being recorded as one of Europe’s most severe rail disasters in recent history and represents the deadliest crash in Spain since 2013. In response to the scale of the tragedy, which involved hundreds of passengers across both vehicles, the Spanish government initiated three days of national mourning.
Dr. Shahbazi was travelling to Andalusia at the time of the crash to receive an award from the Spanish Society for Developmental Biology. The accolade was intended to recognize her significant academic contributions to the field of early human development. Before establishing her laboratory at the Cambridge Biomedical Campus in 2020, she had completed her doctoral studies at the Spanish National Cancer Research Centre and worked as a post-doctoral fellow at the University of Cambridge.
The confirmation of her death followed days of uncertainty regarding her status. The CiMUS institute in Santiago de Compostela issued a public tribute to the late scientist, offering condolences to her aunt, María José Alonso, who is a principal investigator at their facility. In their statement, they honored Dr. Shahbazi as a talented and promising researcher.
The incident has left a significant impact on the scientific community and the general public, drawing attention to the severe collision that saw a Renfe train carrying 397 passengers impact an Iryo train containing 146 passengers and an infant. The MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology has acknowledged the loss of a valued team member, noting that her career was marked by her expertise in cell biology and her leadership within the institution.
Sources: BBC News
Aggregated summary. Original: BBC News