The institutional example of Page: "very affected", he parks his differences with Sánchez and acts as host of Feijóo

Emiliano García-Page, the president of the Castilla-La Mancha region, arrived at the scene of the high-speed train collision in Urda, Toledo province, just 55 minutes after the crash occurred at 9:48 a.m. on Wednesday. As the regional leader responsible for emergency management in his territory, Page has taken the lead in updating the public on the death toll, which stands at 69 victims. His aides described him as deeply affected by the tragedy, noting that he witnessed difficult scenes upon arrival and often appeared on the verge of tears during press conferences. Despite years of deep political friction with Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, who serves as the secretary-general of Page’s party, the regional leader set aside their differences to act as host to national authorities. In two joint appearances within less than 24 hours, Page publicly thanked Sánchez, acknowledging the automatic response and coordination of state authorities who placed all possible resources at the government's disposal. The timeline of the response began immediately after the impact, where an AVE train struck an Iryo train that was stopped on the tracks. Page requested the immediate deployment of the Military Engineering Unit, known as the UME, to assist in evacuating approximately one hundred injured passengers and recovering bodies trapped in the twisted metal wreckage. On Thursday, Page joined Sánchez in a tracking meeting at the Integrated Operational Coordination Center in Toledo. Later that day, he visited the Advanced Command Post established in Urda, where he met with Albert Núñez Feijóo, the leader of the People’s Party. Feijóo noted that he had been treated very courteously by the regional president. Following this meeting, Page traveled to the Hospital of Toledo to accompany King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia during their visit to patients hospitalized with injuries of varying severity resulting from the crash. During the hospital visit, a collaborator recounted that four nurses in the corridor near the Emergency Department greeted Page with encouragement, telling him to keep up the good work. Page responded by directing the praise back to them, stating that they were doing well. This incident highlighted the personal toll of the disaster on the regional leadership. Page, who has led the Castilla-La Mancha government since 2015 and is the only socialist regional president with an absolute majority, has not yet revealed whether he will seek reelection for a fourth term in 2027. He has stated that such a decision will be based strictly on personal criteria. However, he has repeatedly ruled himself out as a candidate to succeed Sánchez, although he still plans to release his book, Emergency Lights: Against Populisms and Frontalism, scheduled for publication after the November 29 elections. During these difficult days, he has maintained a strictly institutional profile. Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez addressed the media from Toledo on Thursday, emphasizing that all institutions belonging to the State, from small municipalities to the central government, are working day and night. He pledged to clarify every detail of the tragedy and reinforce safety measures to prevent recurrence. Sánchez framed the state’s response in three dimensions: addressing the human emergency by removing and identifying bodies and treating the wounded; investigating the causes of the accident; and providing material compensation to the families of the victims. He confirmed that the General State Plan for Civil Protection Emergencies was activated immediately, mobilizing the UME, the Civil Guard, the National Police, and emergency services under the command and coordination of the Castilla-La Mancha executive. Sánchez praised the professionalism of public servants from all administrations, noting that they are giving their best. He acknowledged that Renfe, the operator of the AVE train, has launched a victim assistance plan, including a dedicated phone number and family support centers at various stations along the Madrid-Seville high-speed line. Similar measures have been implemented by Iryo and Adif, the railway network manager. Sánchez specifically thanked psychological support services, the Red Cross, and the 112 emergency service for their crucial work throughout the night and into the morning. He stressed that the entire state is fully committed to the response, aiming to provide rapid, urgent, and effective aid. Political tensions remain visible despite the collaborative front presented publicly. When asked about Óscar Puente, the Transport Minister with whom Page has had loud confrontations both behind closed doors in the federal committee and through the media, Page stated firmly that it was not the right moment for political debate. He argued that the focus must remain on attending to the emergency and viewing the event as a tragedy independent of the political and electoral context, which is what the victims and their families deserve. In Madrid, the Congress of Deputies confirmed that Puente would voluntarily appear before the Permanent Committee on Tuesday, November 3, to explain the situation. Political groups including ERC, Podemos, and Sumar had earlier called for him to address the lower chamber regarding the accident. Meanwhile, misinformation has spread rapidly online following the announcement of the 69 deaths. Social media platforms have circulated decontextualized videos, images generated by artificial intelligence, and conspiracy theories about the cause of the crash. Fact-checkers have identified several false claims. Four images widely shared as evidence of the Urda crash actually depict the January 18 train disaster in Adamuz, Córdoba, which killed 46 people. These include photos published by news agencies and video clips released by the Civil Guard in January. Another image showing a burnt train engine on the tracks was misidentified as being from Urda; it actually shows an AVE train that caught fire in Ricla, Zaragoza, on October 12, causing traffic suspensions until October 19. Additionally, a photo of a crashed commuter train used in posts claiming Adif suspended circulation between Madrid and Andalusia corresponds to a separate incident involving a Rodalies train in January. These false narratives continue to circulate alongside verified information about the ongoing rescue and recovery efforts in Toledo.