Two students from a California university were injured in a devastating train crash in Spain that left at least 69 people dead.
The collision happened Wednesday in Udra, roughly 100 miles south of Madrid, when a high-speed train crashed into another train that had stopped on the tracks.
Cal Poly confirmed that two of the injured passengers were students at the university. A GoFundMe fundraiser identified one of them as Leah Silver-Fajardo, a third-year student.
Matt Lazier, a spokesperson for Cal Poly, told KSBY 6 that the university is coordinating with U.S. Embassy officials and its study-abroad partners in Spain regarding the students’ condition.
Lazier confirmed that both students are receiving medical care.
“The university is in contact with these students’ families to provide support. In addition, Cal Poly is reaching out to its students studying in Spain and across Europe to offer support,” he said.
Rachel Chernin, Leah’s aunt, organized the GoFundMe campaign. She said donations would help pay for her niece’s medical treatment and other expenses related to the crash.
The fundraiser is seeking $110,000. By Monday morning, it had collected more than $92,000.
According to the fundraising page, Leah suffered multiple serious injuries, including fractures to her knee, pelvis and ribs. She also sustained lung bruising, cuts and burns.
Leah has undergone surgery on her knee and is waiting for another operation to repair her pelvis.
In an update posted Saturday, Chernin said doctors found another fracture in Leah’s femur after she was moved out of intensive care.
Chernin added that Leah has faced difficulties managing her pain because of side effects linked to morphine.
Leah, who is from Seattle, Washington, studies neuropsychology at Cal Poly.
The GoFundMe page describes her as someone who enjoys running, hiking, traveling and other outdoor activities.
Only weeks before the train crash, Leah celebrated her 21st birthday in Florence, Italy.
Her parents, Nicole and Sergio, learned about the crash after receiving a call from the U.S. Embassy confirming that Leah had been involved.
For a period afterward, however, they did not know where Leah was or whether she had survived, according to the GoFundMe page.
Leah’s friends from her study-abroad program searched multiple hospitals before locating her and informing her parents.