Who was Jilieta Gallego? Spanish long jumper among 69 killed in train collision

Cranes lift wrecked train carriages as rescuers search for victims following a collision between two trains in Urda, Spain.

Spanish long jumper Julieta Gallego, 24, was among those killed in a train collision in Toledo province that claimed at least 69 lives. The Royal Spanish Athletics Federation (RFEA) expressed its condolences following her death on Thursday."The Spanish athletics family joins in the grief over the passing of Julieta Gallego, athlete of AD Sprint, in the train accident that occurred in Urda (Toledo)," the federation said in a statement on X, offering its support to her family, friends and teammates at the club.Gallego represented Madrid-based AD Sprint and regularly competed in Spain's club championships. She recorded a personal best of 5.90 metres (19 feet 4 inches) in the long jump at Antequera in 2023."There are blows that strike at the very heart of the athletics family. Today, the sport mourns the passing of Julieta, a life ahead of her that has been unjustly extinguished," RFEA president Raul Chapado told Spanish newspaper ABC.Two high-speed trains collided on Wednesday in the second deadly accident in less than a year on the railway line connecting Madrid to the southern region of Andalusia.

Former Spanish minister Fátima Báñez also died following Wednesday's collision.

She served as minister for employment and social security between 2011 and 2018. Her death was confirmed by the Spanish Confederation of Business Organizations (CEOE), which she chairs.Rescue teams are continuing to search for survivors among the wreckage. The crash also left more than 100 people injured.A total of 544 people were travelling on the two trains when they collided between the towns of Mora and Orgaz, near Toledo. Several carriages derailed in the accident.