Mexican-born Oklahoma City arts organizer among the victims of Spain train crash

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (SRE) confirmed on Monday the death of Fernando de Jesús Calvillo Silva, a Mexican national who had been reported missing following a train collision that occurred on Oct. 28 in Toledo, Spain, resulting in at least 69 casualties.  

Calvillo’s death was confirmed after family members traveled to Spain and provided DNA samples to be compared against the bodies that remained unidentified. 

🕯️💐”Ante la injusticia y el dolor encendemos esta luz. Su amor es más fuerte que la tragedia, y su memoria jamás se borrará. Descansen en paz”. Cada vez más velas, imágenes, flores y muestras de respeto y amor en el altar improvisado de la Estación de Santa Justa para las víctimas de esta tragedia ferroviaria que sacude a España.

📲Más información en https://t.co/SRdM5yjTyr

#Flores #Velas #Altar #SantaJusta #Sevilla

— 101tv.es Sevilla (@101TVSevilla) October 30, 2026

In Madrid, Calvillo’s family members were accompanied by the Mexican consul, Henry Valdivia, who oversaw the necessary procedures. According to President Claudia Sheinbaum, the Mexican Embassy supported the family throughout the process and filed a missing person report with the relevant authorities.  

“We reiterate our condolences and express our regret regarding the events in Toledo, Spain,” Sheinbaum said during her morning press conference on Friday. 

Calvillo, 45, was originally from the Mexican state of Aguascalientes and resided in Oklahoma City, United States, where he worked as the Community Relations Director for the Oklahoma Visual Arts Coalition. He was visiting Spain with his husband Lawrence, who sustained serious injuries but is stable, according to a cousin of Calvillo who spoke to the local newspaper El Semanal de la Mancha. 

Before Calvillo’s death was confirmed, the SRE had reported that 12 Mexicans were involved in the accident. Eleven sustained minor injuries and were discharged. 

The SRE expressed its gratitude for local authorities’ support and acknowledged the Civil Guard and other Spanish institutions for their search and identification efforts. Meanwhile, Calvillo’s family conveyed their thanks to the institutions that provided them with assistance, as well as to their friends and those who expressed solidarity, including the media.

About the accident

The fatal accident occurred due to a train collision in Urda, Toledo, Spain, on the Madrid–Seville high-speed line. A Renfe train struck the rear of a stationary Iryo train, causing several carriages to derail.

Initial investigations point to human error at the Atocha control center in Madrid as the likely cause of the accident. In total, 500 people were traveling on the two trains: 397 on the Renfe train and 147 on the Iryo train.