A British scientist from the University of Cambridge, Dr Marta Shahbazi, was among the 69 people killed when two high-speed trains collided near Toledo in Spain. She was reportedly travelling to collect a prestigious award.
Dr Shahbazi was a researcher at the University of Cambridge, where she worked in the field of developmental biology. Her death was confirmed by the MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, the institution with which she was associated. Reports from several outlets describe her as 41 years old at the time of the crash.
The collision between the two trains left a large number of passengers dead, making it one of the deadliest rail accidents in Spain in recent years. Dr Shahbazi was on board one of the services when the trains collided, and her journey was linked to the recognition she was due to receive.
Tributes from colleagues and the wider scientific community have followed the announcement of her death. Her loss has been felt across the research community, where she was known for her contributions to the study of early embryonic development.