Government officials said the army has been asked to help with the rescue. Karamanlis said the Greek railway system was not up to 21st-century standards when he took office. Agorastos described the collision on state television as "very powerful" and said it was "a terrible night. Officials said the army had been contacted to assist. We are going to be here all night, until we finish, until we find the last person, a volunteer rescue worker told the ERT public broadcaster. TEMPE, Greece (AP) A head-on collision between a passenger train and a freight train flattened carriages, killed at least 36 people and injured some 85, Greek officials said Wednesday. Officials said the army had been contacted to assist. After sunrise, they turned to heavy machinery that had been brought in to start moving large pieces of the trains. "Our carriage didn't derail, but the ones in front did and were smashed," he said, visibly shaken. 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. A passenger named Lazos told the newspaper Proto Thema that the experience had been very shocking. Railway safety in Greece has come under scrutiny in recent years, and the accident late Tuesday is the countrys deadliest, according to local media. 1837 Seaboard and Roanoke Railroad collision, Suffolk, Virginia; 3 killed plus dozens injured. The pain is unspeakable, he said. We are facing an unimaginable tragedy, Sakellaropoulou said in a statement posted to her offices website. Our carriage didnt derail, but the ones in front did and were smashed, he said, visibly shaken. PASSENGERS SAY TRAIN CRASH WAS LIKE AN EXPLOSION. An overview of the day's top stories from SBS News, Interviews and feature reports from SBS News, A daily five minute news wrap for English learners and people with disability, Take a global view with Australia's most comprehensive world news service. "Temperatures were particularly high, reaching even 1,300 degrees Celsius (about 2,700 Fahrenheit)," Varthakogiannis told journalists. Five hours later, we are finding bodies.". There was panic in the carriage, people were screaming, a young man who was evacuated to a nearby bridge told SKAI TV. Officials said this included university students returning home after a long holiday weekend marking the beginning of Greek Orthodox lent. This year was the first time the three-day festival, which precedes Lent, was celebrated in full since the start of the pandemic in 2020. We are talking about an unspeakable tragedy. A passenger train travelling from Athens to the northern city of Thessaloniki collided with a freight train outside Larissa just before midnight. Multiple cars derailed and at least three burst into flames after the collision, which took place just before midnight near the Vale of Tempe, a gorge that separates the regions of Thessaly and Macedonia. Authorities set up a hotline for relatives of passengers seeking information on family members. They were travelling at great speed and one (driver) didnt know the other was coming, he added. The collision was like a huge earthquake.". At least 32 people have been killed and 85 others injured in a train collision in central Greece. At least 29 people are dead and 85 injured after a commercial train and a passenger train collided and derailed in Greece on Tuesday. Please try again later. Train crash, derailment in Greece injures at least 60 in fires, ruins. Dozens hurt in fiery train crash, derailment in Greece. A passenger train collided with an oncoming freight train, causing a fiery crash on Wednesday in northern Greece. Rescue crews illuminated the scene with floodlights before dawn Wednesday as they searched frantically through the twisted, smoking wreckage for survivors. Multiple cars derailed and at least three burst into flames after the collision near Tempe, a small town next to a valley where major highway and rail tunnels are located, some 380 kilometres north of Athens. Police temporarily detained the station master in Larissa and at least three witnesses have been questioned, including a representative for Hellenic Train, a police official said. There was a fire in the first cars and complete panic. "There were many big pieces of steel," said Vassilis Polyzos, a local resident who was one of the first people on the scene. We are pulling out people alive, injured there are dead.". The impact just before midnight Tuesday threw some passengers into ceilings and out the windows. The government declared three days of national mourning, with flags flying at half-mast in a tribute to the victims. Our country is experiencing an unspeakable tragedy, and we are all facing the huge question of why, he told journalists there, according to Kathimerini. Derailed carriages, badly damaged with broken windows and thick plumes of smoke, could be seen on the site. Survivors said several passengers were thrown through the windows of the train cars on impact. "There's debris flung all over the crash site.". Greek President Katerina Sakellaropoulou said she was cutting short a visit to Moldova to return to Greece. What appeared to be the passenger train's third carriage lay atop the crumpled remains of the first two, where emergency crews were directing their focus. The trains were completely destroyed, both passenger and freight trains.. There were many big pieces of steel, he said. They said others fought to free themselves after the passenger train buckled, slamming into a field near a gorge about 235 miles north of Athens. The trains crashed just before the Vale of Tempe, a gorge that separates the regions of Thessaly and Macedonia. "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. "It was a nightmarish 10 seconds, in the flames. Greek President Katerina Sakellaropoulou cut short a visit to Moldova and traveled to the crash site, where she laid white flowers among the wreckage, according to the Greek newspaper Kathimerini. A drone video shows plumes of smoke rising from derailed cars after two trains collided near the city of Larissa in northern Greece on March 1. Fire Service Officials said 32 people were killed and at least 85 were injured. Rail operator Hellenic Train saidabout 350 people were travelling on the passenger train, which left Athens at about7:30pm local time for the northern city of Thessaloniki. Rescuers are searching wreckage for survivors after 26 people died and at least 85 were injured in a collision between a passenger train and a freight train in central Greece. Were sorry, this feature is currently unavailable. Greece's federal transport minister said he had submitted his resignation in the wake of the tragedy, calling it "the least he could do to honor the memory of the victims" as he spoke on live television. "I express my condolences to those who lost loved ones or suffered in this disaster.". Rescuers wearing head lamps worked in thick smoke, pulling pieces of mangled metal from the cars to search for trapped people. At least 29 people are dead and 85 injured after a commercial train and a passenger train collided and derailed in Greece on Tuesday. He said some passengers escaped through windows but that after a few minutes, crew members were able to open the doors and let people out. Greek President Katerina Sakellaropoulou broke off an official visit to Moldova to visit the scene, laying flowers beside the wreckage. Temperatures reached 1,300 degrees Celsius (2,372 Fahrenheit), which makes it even more difficult to identify the people who were in it, fire service spokesperson Vassilis Varthakoyiannis said. Agorastos described the collision on state television as "very powerful" and said it was "a terrible night. At least 32 people have died after a passenger train collided with an oncoming freight train in northern Greece early on Wednesday. 1837 Seaboard and Roanoke Railroad collision, Suffolk, Virginia; 3 killed plus dozens injured. Theres debris flung all around the crash site.. Rail operator Hellenic Train expressed "its deep sorrow for the tragic accident" and said the passenger train had about 350 people on board. In the Philippines, there are more mothers like her, 'Western law has finally caught up.' A train carrying 350 passengers was traveling north from Athens to Thessaloniki when it ran headlong into a freight train traveling from Thessaloniki near the city of Larissa, CNN reported. The crash came after a holiday weekend, in which people across the country don colorful clothing, beat drums and parade through villages before the beginning of Lent. The fire was immediate, as we were turning over we were being burned, fire was right and left.". Greek transport minister resigns after deadly crash between passenger train and freight train | CBC News Loaded. 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. A passenger train and a freight train collided in northern Greece, killing at least 32 people and injuring 85 others as plumes of smoke filled the night sky. He said dazed and disoriented people were escaping out of the trains rear cars as he arrived. Regional governor of Thessaly, Kostas Agorastos, said 250 survivors had been evacuated to Thessaloniki on buses. At least 36 people have been killed and dozens injured after two trains crashed head-on at high speed in Greece. A passenger train carrying hundreds of people, including many university students coming back from their holidays, collided at high speed with an oncoming freight train in a fiery wreck in northern Greece, killing at least 36 people and injuring some 85, officials said Wednesday. Many of the passengers were students returning to Thessaloniki from Carnival, but officials said but no detailed passenger list was available. 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.". Costas Agorastos, the regional governor of the Thessaly area, told Greece's Skai Television the two trains crashed head on at high speed. Others fought to free themselves after the passenger train buckled and slammedinto a field next to the tracks, some being burnt in the process. Smoke rises from trains as firefighters and rescuers operate after a collision near Tempe, in northern Greece, early on March 1, 2023. While the cause of Tuesday's collision was not immediately clear, Greece's ageing railway system has long been in need of modernising, with many trains travelling on single tracks and signalling and automatic control systems yet to be installed in many areas. Others scoured the field with flashlights and checked underneath the wreckage. Survivors said some passengers were thrown from the train car windows on impact. Hospital officials in the nearby city of Larissa said at least 25 people had serious injuries. Visiting the crash scene, Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said that the government must help the injured recover and identify the dead. And this is very heavy for all of us and me personally., He called his stepping down the minimum sign of respect to the memory of the people who died so unjustly.. Footage showed rescuers wearing head lamps surrounded by thick smoke, pulling pieces of mangled metal from the carriages to search for trapped people. 1837 Seaboard and Roanoke Railroad collision, Suffolk, Virginia; 3 killed plus dozens injured. Hospital officials in the nearby city of Larissa said at least 25 of those hurt had serious injuries. He said dazed and disoriented people were escaping out of the train's rear cars as he arrived. Nearly 30 people were killed and 85 people were injured after a freight and passenger train collided with each other in Greece. A police statement identified the person arrestedonly as a 59-year-old man. Survivors said several passengers were thrown through the windows of the train cars due to the impact. Two rail officials were being questioned by police but had not been detained as of Wednesday morning. Another woman, who was waiting there, said her child was not picking up the phone. "We were turning over in the wagon until we fell on our sides then there was panic, cables (everywhere) the fire was immediate, as we were turning over we were being burned.". Now it's set for an overhaul. Terms of Use / Privacy Policy / Manage Newsletters, - 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. ", "It was a nightmare. 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. This is called political responsibility.. 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. We are pulling out people alive, injured there are dead. The passenger train was carrying 342 travellers and 10 crew, while two crew were on the cargo train, according to Hellenic Train data. "Our carriage didn't derail, but the ones in front did and were smashed," he said, visibly shaken. They were looking around, searching; they didnt know where they were.. The collision between freight and passenger trains occurred some 235 miles north of Athens and left several cars derailed. Officials said the army had been contacted to assist. Around 60 had been taken to hospital, with six of them in intensive care. Television footage showed derailed carriages with cargo containers flipped over and crash debris strewn across a nearby road. Survivors said several passengers were thrown through the windows of the train cars due to the impact. 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. Many were evacuated to Thessaloniki, where one woman ran to embrace her daughter as she disembarked from a bus with other survivors. Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis office announced a three-day national mourning period. First and foremost, our thoughts today are with the relatives of the victims. Officials said many of the passengers on the Athens to Thessaloniki train were university students returning home after celebrating Carnival over the long weekend. Eight rail employees were among those killed, including the two drivers of the freight train and the two drivers of the passenger train, according to Greek Railroad Workers Union president Yannis Nitsas. Space to play or pause, M to mute, left and right arrows to seek, up and down arrows for volume. Survivors said the impact threw several passengers through the windows of train cars. "It's tragic. On Wednesday, the government declared three days of national mourning. Multiple cars derailed and at least three burst into flames after the collision just before midnight Tuesday near the town of Tempe as the passenger train was emerging from a highway underpass. Multiple cars derailed and at least three burst into flames after the collision just before midnight Tuesday near the town of Tempe as the passenger train was emerging from a highway underpass. More than 200 people who were unharmed in the crash or suffered minor injuries were transported by bus to Thessaloniki, 130 kilometers (80 miles) to the north. Rescuers are searching through flattened, burned-out carriages for survivors and bodies after a passenger train and a freight train crashed head-on in central Greece. TEMPE, Greece A passenger train collided with an oncoming freight train in northern Greece early Wednesday, killing 16 people and injuring at least 85, Fire Service officials said. We are going to be here all night until we finish;until we find the last person.". (Video: The Washington Post). Were getting cranes to come in and special lifting equipment clear the debris and lift the rail cars. Authorities arrested the stationmaster at the trains last stop, in the city of Larissa. "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. 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.. Most (of the bodies) are young people, she told ERT. At least 66 of those injured were still hospitalized, six of them in intensive care, as of 10 a.m. local time. 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. ", 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. They said others fought to free themselves after the passenger train buckled, slamming into a field near the gorge, about 380 kilometers (235 miles) north of Athens. Rescuers wearing head lamps worked in thick smoke, pulling pieces of mangled metal from the cars to search for trapped people. Ambulances from several nearby towns were called in to take injured passengers to hospitals, while rescue workers continued to work in the thick smoke. A passenger train collided with an oncoming freight train in northern Greece early Wednesday morning. ", "The front section of the train was smashed. The possible cause of the collision was not immediately clear. "They were looking around, searching; they didn't know where they were.". He said dazed and disoriented people were escaping out of the train's rear cars as he arrived. Larissa just before the Vale of Tempe, a young man who passenger train crash evacuated to from... 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