CAMBRIDGE SCIENTIST, 41, STILL MISSING AFTER diᩚadℓy SPAIN TRAIN 𝔠r𝘢sh — HER BROTHER SAYS FAMILY IS CLINGING TO HOPE
Dr. Marta Shahbazi, a mother of two and respected developmental biologist, was travelling aboard the front carriage of a high-speed train when it collided with another train in central Spain.
A family is desperately waiting for answers after a respected Cambridge scientist disappeared in one of Spain’s deadliest railway disasters.
Dr. Marta Shahbazi Alonso, 41, has not been heard from since Wednesday, October 28, when two high-speed trains collided near Urda, in Spain’s Toledo province.
Shahbazi was reportedly travelling in the front carriage of a Renfe AVE train heading from Madrid towards Andalusia when it collided with an Iryo train that had stopped on the same track.
The disaster left at least 69 people dead, with dozens of others reported missing as authorities continued searching the wreckage and identifying victims.
According to her family, Marta was among those whose whereabouts remained unknown.
“WE ARE CLINGING TO A FINAL SHRED OF HOPE”
Her brother, Carlos Shahbazi, spoke about the family’s agonising uncertainty.
“We know nothing about her [condition],” he said.
“The odds are very slim, but we are clinging to a final shred of hope.”
He also described his sister as a wonderful, affectionate and happy person, as well as a tireless worker.
Her parents travelled to the 𝔠r𝘢sh area after learning about the disaster and provided DNA samples to assist authorities with the identification process.
The family has been left waiting for official information about whether Marta was among the victims or could still be located.
A SCIENTIST WHOSE WORK COULD HELP UNDERSTAND EARLY HUMAN DEVELOPMENT
Born in León, Spain, Marta built an internationally recognised career in biology.
She leads her own research group at the Medical Research Council’s Laboratory of Molecular Biology at the University of Cambridge in the United Kingdom.
Her work focuses on the earliest stages of human embryonic development, examining how a single fertilised cell begins to develop and how problems during this process can contribute to pregnancy loss.
She was travelling to Huelva, Spain, to attend a scientific conference where she was due to receive an award from the Spanish Society for Developmental Biology in recognition of her research.
Earlier in October, she had also received the Emerging Talent Award from the Society of Spanish Researchers in the United Kingdom.
A MOTHER OF TWO
Away from the laboratory, Marta is a mother of two young children, aged three and seven.
She lives in Cambridge with her family, and her disappearance has brought profound concern to her loved ones and colleagues in the scientific community.
The Spanish Society of Researchers in the United Kingdom also expressed sadness and concern, describing her as an exceptional scientist and a valued member of its community.
For those closest to her, the wait for news remains unbearable.
As rescue and identification efforts continue, her family is holding on to hope that they will finally learn what happened to Marta.
For now, Dr. Marta Shahbazi remains missing.
