Spain Hit by Its Worst Tragedy... Lee Kangin, Moreno and Real Madrid Join Soccer World in Mourning

All 24 Copa del Rey Matches Postponed
More Than 100 Injured in High-Speed Train Collision
Lee Kangin and Coach Moreno Join in Mourning

A major disaster unfolded in Spain when two high-speed trains collided, killing at least 68 people, bringing Spanish football to a brief standstill. The Royal Spanish Football Federation postponed all 24 Copa del Rey matches, while South Korea national team player Lee Kang-in and coach Robert Moreno also paid tribute to the victims.

On October 29, Yonhap News reported, citing announcements by local Spanish media and other sources, that Spanish football had joined in mourning following news of the disaster.

A major disaster in Spain, where two high-speed trains collided, killing at least 68 people, brought Spanish football to a brief standstill. Reuters-Yonhap News

At around 8:53 a.m. on October 28, an AVE train operated by state-owned railway company Renfe struck a train operated by private railway company Iryo near Urda in Toledo province, south of Madrid, on a high-speed rail line. The Iryo train was stopped on the tracks at the time. When the AVE train behind it collided with it, several carriages derailed, and some plunged down an embankment beside the railway.

According to the authorities in the autonomous community of Castilla-La Mancha, at least 68 people were killed and more than 100 were injured in the accident. Some of the injured are in critical condition, and search and recovery operations are continuing in the damaged carriages, so the death toll may rise further. Korean casualties were also confirmed. According to South Korea's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, as of the morning of October 29, 11 Koreans were confirmed to have been aboard the trains involved in the accident, and two of them were injured. One injured person was discharged after receiving treatment, while the other is receiving hospital care.

Investigations into the cause of the accident are also underway. Local authorities are examining how the train behind the one stopped on the tracks came to be operating, as well as whether there were any problems with railway traffic control. Spanish football also joined in mourning following news of the disaster. In an official announcement on October 28, the Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) expressed its condolences to the victims and their families and said it was postponing all 24 first-round Copa del Rey matches scheduled for that day. The federation said the decision was a sign of respect and solidarity with the victims and that the entire Spanish football community shared in the grief.

The postponed matches will be played in sequence from October 29 through November 13. The match between Navalcarnero and Real Betis, originally scheduled for October 28, has been rescheduled for November 12, while Celta Vigo's match has been rescheduled for November 13. Several of Spain's leading clubs also issued tributes.

In an official statement, Real Madrid offered its deepest condolences to the victims' families and expressed solidarity with the injured and those involved in rescue efforts. Barcelona and Atletico Madrid also mourned the victims and wished the injured a speedy recovery. Lee Kang-in, who grew up in Spain and currently plays for Atletico Madrid, shared the club's tribute post on his social media account. Instead of adding a written message, Lee expressed his condolences with an emoji of two hands clasped in prayer.

Lee Kang-in, who plays in Spain, and Robert Moreno, a Spanish-born interim coach of the South Korean national football team, also expressed their condolences on social media.

Robert Moreno, the Spanish-born interim coach of South Korea's national football team, also expressed sorrow over the tragedy in his home country. In a post on social media, Moreno offered condolences to the families and friends of the victims of the train accident in Toledo and sent his heartfelt support to everyone affected by the accident.

Meanwhile, high-speed rail services connecting Madrid and Andalusia were suspended in the wake of the accident. Renfe is arranging alternative transportation and has activated a support system for those affected by the accident and their families. Spanish authorities will continue rescue and recovery operations while working to determine the exact cause of the accident and establish accountability for the railway's operations.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.