The sound inside the train car was overwhelming as it derailed and skidded down a steep embankment, tearing its structure apart.
According to La Vanguardia, a Civil Guard officer discovered her barefoot on the railway tracks after she managed to escape through a shattered window.
Her relative, Juan Barroso, informed reporters that the 6-year-old is in good health, having received three stitches to her head at the hospital.
The mayor of her family’s village, which lies close to the tragic rail route, expressed some comfort knowing that this young girl was unharmed.
“Many are grieved by the victims of this horrific accident, but there are also numerous stories of survival, like the miraculous safety of this girl,” Punta Umbria’s Mayor José Carlos Hernández remarked on Tuesday after observing a minute of silence in honor of the victims.
Tragically, the girl’s parents, brother, and a cousin were among those lost. The devastating accident claimed at least 41 lives, leaving the young girl an orphan.
Her family’s last names are Zamorano Ãlvarez, the town hall said but The Associated Press is not disclosing her first name.
Punta Umbria has declared three days of mourning for victims including the Zamorano Ãlvarez family.
They were seated in the front carriages that bore the brunt of the impact when a train coming the opposite direction suddenly jumped its track for reasons still unknown.
Mayor Hernández said that the girl is now with her grandparents in a hotel in Cordoba, the nearest city to the crash.
“She has a tremendous family who will do what it takes for her to have a happy life,” the mayor said.
