The cause of the collision was not immediately clear. The Greek army has been called in to assist in the rescue effort. Train crash, derailment in Greece injures at least 60 in fires, ruins. On Wednesday, the government declared three days of national mourning. Greek President Katerina Sakellaropoulou broke off an official visit to Moldova to visit the scene, laying flowers beside the wreckage. At least 32 people are reported to have been killed and dozens injured after two trains collided in Greece. A passenger train and a cargo train have collided head-on in Greece, killing at least 36 people and injuring dozens as the country's deadliest rail crash in living memory threw entire carriages off the tracks. ", Vassilis Polyzos, a local resident who said he was one of the first people on the scene, said both trains were completely destroyed.. At least 32 people are reported to have been killed and dozens injured after two trains collided in Greece. Ive never seen anything like this in my entire life. An emergency government meeting was organised after the crash and Greek health minister Thanos Plevris went to the scene. Several of the dead are believed to have been found in the restaurant car near the front of the passenger train. Rail operator Hellenic Train said the northbound passenger train from Athens to Thessaloniki, Greeces second-largest city, had about 350 passengers on board. Hospital officials in the nearby city of Larissa said at least 25 of those hurt had serious injuries. Greeces firefighting service said some 66 people were hospitalized, including six in intensive care. Web19th century 1830s. A passenger named Lazos told the newspaper Proto Thema that the experience had been very shocking. Before dawn the next day, rescuers searched through twisted, smoking wreckage for survivors. "This is an indescribable tragedy," said government spokesman Giannis Oikonomou. We are living through a tragedy. There was panic in the carriage, people were screaming, a young man who was evacuated under a nearby bridge told SKAI TV. Greek President Katerina Sakellaropoulou said she was cutting short a visit to Moldova to return to Greece. Rescue crews illuminated the scene with floodlights before dawn on Wednesday as they searched frantically through the twisted, smoking wreckage for survivors. He said that the first car caught fire and that he used a bag to break the window of his car, the fourth, and escape. Greeces firefighting service said 57 people remained hospitalized late Wednesday, including six in intensive care. Passengers who received minor injuries or were unharmed were transported by bus to Thessaloniki, 130km to the north. A teenage survivor who did not give his name told reporters that just before the crash he felt a strong braking and saw sparks then there was a sudden stop. Officials said the army had been contacted to assist. A passenger train collided with an oncoming freight train in northern Greece early Wednesday, killing 16 people and injuring at least 85, fire officials said. Fire Service Officials said 32 people were killed and at least 85 were injured. At least 32 people have died after a passenger train collided with an oncoming freight train in northern Greece early on Wednesday. We heard a big bang, [it was] 10 nightmarish seconds, said Stergios Minenis, a 28-year-old passenger who jumped to safety from the wreckage. TikTok announced it was banning dangerous tanning content so why didn't it. At least 32 people have died after a passenger train collided with an oncoming freight train in northern Greece early on Wednesday. Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. "The front section of the train was smashed we're getting cranes to come in and special lifting equipment to clear the debris and lift the rail cars," he said. The evacuation process is ongoing and is being carried out under very difficult conditions due to the severity of the collision between the two trains, Vassilis Varthakoyiannis, a spokesman for Greeces firefighting service, told the AP. We share the pain of those who lost loved ones, but we know their pain is so great that comforting words can offer no relief.. They did not release the mans name or the reason for the arrest, but the stationmaster is responsible for rail traffic on that stretch of the tracks. Subscribe to our channel for the latest updates on Russias war in Ukraine. Some of the victims were university students, Health Minister Athanasios Plevris said in televised remarks outside the hospital. Police took their names as they arrived, in an effort to track anyone who may be missing. 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Others scoured the field with flashlights and checked underneath the wreckage. The passenger train was traveling from the capital, Athens, to Thessaloniki, Greeces second-largest city, when it and the cargo train collided. Pic: AP, Aerials in daylight show extent of train crash in Greece. 1833 Hightstown rail accident, Hightstown, New Jersey; 2 killed plus 15 injured.Earliest recorded train accident involving the death of passengers. Meanwhile, Greek President Katerina Sakellaropoulou said she was cutting short a visit to Moldova to return to Greece. Two rail officials were being questioned by police but had not been detained. Transport Minister Kostas Karamanlis resigned in the wake of the crash, saying he felt it was his "duty" to step down "as a basic indication of respect for the memory of the people who died so unfairly.". The pain is unspeakable, he said. We were turning over in the wagon until we fell on our sides then there was panic, cables (everywhere) fire, the fire was immediate, as we were turning over we were being burned, fire was right and left.. For 10, 15 seconds it was chaos, Stergios Minenis, 28, told the BBC. Authorities arrested the stationmaster at the trains last stop, in the city of Larissa. The collision between a freight and passenger train occurred near Tempe, some 380 kilometres north of Athens, and resulted in the derailment of several train cars. Visiting the crash scene, Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said that the government must help the injured recover and identify the dead. Passengers who were on board the train from Athens spoke to local media early on Wednesday morning, describing the frenzied scenes in the aftermath of the crash. There was panic in the carriage, people were screaming, a young man who was evacuated to a nearby bridge told SKAI TV. Hellenic Train is operated by Italys FS Group, which runs rail services in several European countries. There were many big pieces of steel, he said. "Our carriage didn't derail, but the ones in front did and were smashed," he said, visibly shaken. At least 32 people have been killed and 85 others injured in a train collision in central Greece. Multiple cars derailed and at least one burst into flames. Train crash, derailment in Greece injures at least 60 in fires, ruins. Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis was to visit the scene later in the day. Survivors said several passengers were thrown through the windows of the train cars due to the impact. Rescue crews illuminated the scene with floodlights before dawn Wednesday as they searched frantically through the twisted, smoking wreckage for survivors. ", The regional governor added: "The front section of the train was smashed we're getting cranes to come in and special lifting equipment to clear the debris and lift the rail cars. Survivors said several passengers were thrown through the windows of the train cars due to the impact. At least 29 people are dead and 85 injured after a commercial train and a passenger train collided and derailed in Greece on Tuesday. A teenage survivor who did not give his name to reporters said that just before the crash he felt a strong braking and saw sparks then there was a sudden stop. The passenger train was en route from Athens to Thessaloniki with 342 passengers and a crew of 10. Web19th century 1830s. In these 3.5 years, we have made every effort to improve this reality, he said as he announced his resignation. Officials said this included university students returning home after a long holiday weekend marking the beginning of Greek Orthodox lent. We just heard a bang the (train) car started spinning, before ending up sideways when we managed to exit, one passenger told Greek public broadcaster ERT, per CNN. He said dazed and disoriented people were escaping out of the train's rear cars as he arrived. At least 29 people are dead and 85 injured after a commercial train and a passenger train collided and derailed in Greece on Tuesday. ", "The front section of the train was smashed. The death toll was expected to rise further, a fire brigade official said. A passenger train collided with an oncoming freight train in northern Greece early Wednesday, killing at least 29 people and injuring some 85, Fire Service officials said. The trains crashed just before the Vale of Tempe, a gorge that separates the regions of Thessaly and Macedonia. Transportation Minister Kostas Karamanlis resigned, saying he was stepping down as a basic indication of respect for the memory of the people who died so unfairly., Karamanlis said he had made every effort to improve a railway system that had been in a state that doesn't befit the 21st century., But, he added, When something this tragic happens it's impossible to continue as if nothing has happened.. There's debris flung all around the crash site.". "We are living through a tragedy. "People, naturally, were scared - very scared," he said. Opinion: We are in a new cold war. The crash killed at least 36 people and injured at least 85 people. (AP) The incident took place in Tempe, near the north of Athens. "There were many big pieces of steel," said Vassilis Polyzos, a local resident who said he was one of the first people on the scene. First published on February 28, 2023 / 9:00 PM. TEMPE, Greece -- A passenger train carrying hundreds of people, including many university students returning home from holiday, collided at high speed with an oncoming freight train in a fiery wreck in northern Greece, killing 32 and injuring at least 85, officials said Wednesday. "They were travelling at great speed and one [driver] didn't know the other was coming," he said. Police in the nearby city of Larissa said they had arrested a 59-year-old station master, who has been charged with causing mass deaths through negligence and causing grievous bodily harm through negligence. By midafternoon, Transportation Minister Kostas Karamanlis had resigned. Emergency workers found several bodies dozens of meters (feet) away from the cars, ERT reported. Our carriage didnt derail, but the ones in front did and were smashed, he said, visibly shaken. Residents of Larissa lined up to donate blood. Smoke rose from trains as firefighters and rescuers tried to help out the victims after the accident. Regional governor of Thessaly, Kostas Agorastos, said 250 survivors had been evacuated to Thessaloniki on buses. In comments to state television, Costas Agorastos, the regional governor of the Thessaly area, said the collision was very strong, adding that the first four carriages had derailed, while the first two were almost completely destroyed. A passenger train collided with a freight train in Greece just before midnight on Feb. 28, killing 29 and injuring at least 85 people, authorities say. How much could a short, brisk daily walk lower your health risks? At least 32 people have been killed and 85 others injured in a train collision in central Greece. The evacuation of victims was carried out under very difficult conditions due to the severity of the collision between the two trains, said Vassilis Varthakoyiannis, a spokesman for Greeces firefighting service. My head hit the roof of the carriage with the jolt," Stefanos Gogakos, who was in a rear car, told state broadcaster ERT. By Sunita Patel-Carstairs and Sharon Marris, news reporters, Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player. The bodies are being transferred to the hospitals of Larissa in order to begin the process of recognition and identification, the Fire Brigade said in a statement, per ABC News. Many of the passengers would have been returning home after a long holiday weekend marking the beginning of Greek Orthodox lent. Thessaly regional governor Konstantinos Agorastos saidthe two trains hurtled towards each other on the same track. Survivors said several passengers were thrown through the windows of the train cars on impact. An aerial view after a train collision in northern Greece that killed at least 32 people. The fire brigade said it was informed of the accident shortly before midnight. A passenger train collided with an oncoming freight train in northern Greece early Wednesday, killing at least 29 people and injuring some 85, Fire Service officials said. I can guarantee one thing: We will find out the causes of this tragedy and we will do all thats in our power so that something like this never happens again, Mitsotakis said, per the AP. Later in the year, a second accident resulted in ten injuries, with two of them ultimately dying. One of the questions investigators need to answer is why the two trains were, according to Thessaly regional governor Konstantinos Agorastos, running on the same track when they crashed. The collision was so violent that the first two carriages of the passenger train "no longer exist", he told Skai television. He said dazed and disoriented people were escaping out of the train's rear carriages as he arrived. The wagon started to spin and then it ended up on its side and we got out. Police took their names as they arrived, in an effort to track anyone who may be missing. 1833 Hightstown rail accident, Hightstown, New Jersey; 2 killed plus 15 injured.Earliest recorded train accident involving the death of passengers. Greece's firefighting service said some 66 people were hospitalized, including six in intensive care. Are you on Telegram? Police took their names as they arrived, in an effort to track anyone who might be missing. Five hours later, we are finding bodies.". At least 66 of those injured were still hospitalized, six of them in intensive care, as of 10 a.m. local time. Hellenic Train is operated by Italys FS Group, which runs rail services in several European countries. Fire Service Officials said 32 people were killed and at least 85 were injured. Rail operator Hellenic Train said the northbound passenger train to Thessaloniki, Greece's second-largest city, had about 350 passengers on board. 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