University of Cambridge scientist among those who died in Spanish train crash

A University of Cambridge scientist died in the Spanish train disaster which killed at least 69 people, a research institute has confirmed.

Dr Marta Shahbazi was travelling on one of the trains involved in the collision near Urda, south of Madrid, according to the MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology (LMB) in the city, where she led a group of researchers.

The University of Cambridge lists Dr Shahbazi as an affiliate associate professor.

The Spanish CiMUS institute paid tribute to the "brilliant young researcher" in a social media post.

The expert in cell biology, who runs the Shahbazi Laboratory at the LMB, based on the Cambridge Biomedical Campus, was announced as the winner of a Spanish Society for Developmental Biology award for her contributions to the study of early human development.

She was due to be presented with the award during the society's conference in El Rompido, Andalusia, south-west Spain.

The LMB previously confirmed Dr Shahbazi was on one of the trains but said her whereabouts were "unknown", external.

In a social media post, external CiMUS, based in Santiago de Compostela said: "The CiMUS community would like to express its support and deepest sympathies to our dear PI María José Alonso, following the death of her niece, Marta Shahbazi, in the railway accident that occurred on 28 October.

"Marta was a brilliant young researcher, group leader at the MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology and Affiliate Associate Professor at the Cambridge Stem Cell Institute, University of Cambridge."

The institute said Dr Shahbazi's aunt worked at their centre.

Dr Shahbazi undertook her PhD at the Spanish National Cancer Research Centre, before joining the University of Cambridge as a post-doctoral fellow and then the LMB in 2020.

The collision happened when a state-operated Renfe high-speed train smashed into the back of a stationary train operated by the Iryo company.

It is one of the worst rail disasters in Europe's modern history, and Spain's worst crash since 2013.

Three days of national mourning were declared in the country.

More than 540 people were on board both trains.

Esther Padilla, spokesperson for the government of Castilla-La Mancha region, said one of the trains - managed by the Iryo company - was carrying 146 passengers plus one baby, while the Renfe-managed train had 397 passengers on board.