At least 32 people have died after a passenger train collided with an oncoming freight train in northern Greece early on Wednesday. The collision was so violent that the first two carriages of the passenger train "no longer exist", he told Skai television. 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. Some of the injured were taken to hospitals in Larissa, and at least 150 firefighters and dozens of emergency vehicles were dispatched to the crash site. 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.. The cause of the deadliest rail crash in Greece in decades remained unclear. The trains crashed just before the Vale of Tempe, a gorge that separates the regions of Thessaly and Macedonia. At least 32 people have been killed and 85 others injured in a train collision in central Greece. Smoke rises from trains as firefighters and rescuers operate after a collision near Larissa city, Greece, early on Wednesday.Credit:AP, 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 burnt, fire was right and left.. Many of the passengers would have been returning home after a long holiday weekend marking the beginning of Greek Orthodox lent. Agorastor told SKAI TV the two trains collided head on the passenger train travelling from Athens to Thessaloniki, and a cargo train from Thessaloniki to Larissa. There's debris flung all around the crash site.". 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. A derailed passenger train is seen following a collision with a cargo train in the Tempe valley near Larissa, Greece, March 1, 2023. A picture taken with a drone shows firefighters and rescue crews working to extricate passengers from trains after a collision near Larissa city, Greece. Greece's firefighting service said some 66 people were hospitalized, including six in intensive care. Survivors said several passengers were thrown through the windows of the train cars due to the impact. He said it was a terrible night. A passenger named Lazos told the newspaper Proto Thema that the experience had been very shocking. Many of those aboard the passenger train were students returning from Greece's raucous Carnival, officials said. After sunrise, one of the remaining passenger carriages could be seen resting on its side at an almost 90-degree angle from the rest of the train. A teenage survivor who did not give his name saidhe had used a bag to break open the window of his carriage and escape. Greek Transport Minister Kostas Karamanlis has since submitted his resignation over the incident. Wed Mar 1 2023 - 06:16. The cause of the collision is not yet known and is being investigated. 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. Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. "The trains were completely destroyed, both passenger and freight trains.". Survivors said several passengers were thrown through the windows of the train cars due to the impact. Gatopoulos reported from Athens. "It was a nightmarish 10 seconds, in the flames. The trains crashed just before the Vale of Tempe, a gorge that separates the regions of Thessaly and Macedonia. The impact just before midnight Tuesday threw some passengers into ceilings and out the windows. 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 good news about egg prices. We are going to be here all night until we finish;until we find the last person.". "Temperatures were particularly high, reaching even 1,300 degrees Celsius (about 2,700 Fahrenheit)," Varthakogiannis told journalists. Five hours later, we are finding bodies.". Greek government spokesman Yiannis Economou said earlier that the two trains had been running in opposite directions on the same track for "several kilometers.". On Wednesday, rescuers turned to cranes and other heavy machinery to start moving large pieces of the trains, revealing more bodies and dismembered remains. He said dazed and disoriented people were escaping out of the train's rear cars as he arrived. Smoke rises from trains as firefighters and rescuers operate after a collision near Larissa city, Greece, early on Wednesday. Police said several carriages came off the rails, with at least three of them catching fire. Derek Gatopoulos in Athens and Patrick Quinn and David Rising in Bangkok contributed to this story. Greece sold railway operator TRAINOSE to Italys Ferrovie dello Stato Italiane in 2017 as part of its international bailout programme, in the expectation that hundreds of millions of euros would be invested in rail infrastructure. We are pulling out people alive, injuredthere are dead," he said. 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. Officials said the army had been contacted to assist. ', CBC's Journalistic Standards and Practices. Costas Agorastos, the regional governor of the Thessaly area, told Greeces Skai Television the two trains collided head on at high speed. Sources: Hellenic Fire Service, Geodata.gov.gr. Others scoured the field with flashlights and checked underneath the wreckage. Our first task is to treat the injured and, from there, to identify the bodies., Opposition politician Nikos Androulakis, a member of the European Parliament, flew in from Brussels to visit the site. When something so tragic happens, it is not possible to carry on as if nothing happened. 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. A volunteer rescue worker told ERT those on the scene were "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. "They were travelling at great speed and one [driver] didn't know the other was coming," he said. First and foremost, our thoughts today are with the relatives of the victims. Many of the victims were thought to be university students. Fire Service Officials said 32 people were killed and at least 85 were injured. This is an indescribable tragedy, government spokesman Giannis Oikonomou said, adding that 500 workers from emergency services were at the scene of the crash. Rescue crews illuminated the scene with floodlights before dawn Wednesday as they searched frantically through the twisted, smoking wreckage for survivors. Fire brigade spokesperson Vassilis Varthakogiannis said the evacuation of passengers took place in very "difficult conditions given the severity of the collision of the two trains". "Carriage one and two no longer exist, and the third has derailed," he said. 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. Before dawn the next day, rescuers searched through twisted, smoking wreckage for survivors. The possible cause of the collision was not immediately clear. Fire Service Officials said 32 people were killed and at least 85 were injured. Greek President Katerina Sakellaropolou said she would cut short a visit to Moldovato return to Greece following the collision. Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis was to visit the scene later in the day. Regional governor of Thessaly, Kostas Agorastos, said 250 survivors had been evacuated to Thessaloniki on buses. Kostas Karamanlis, Greeces transport minister, resigned after visiting the site of the crash, sayinghe felt it was his duty to step down. I also wish for a speedy recovery for all the injured.. 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. He added that the first car caught fire and that he used a bag to break the window of his car, the fourth, and escape. 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. Rescuers in Larissa, Greece are searching for survivors in the twisted remains of a passenger train and freight train that collided at high speed shortly before midnight. The passenger train was carrying 342 travellers and 10 crew, while two crew were on the cargo train, according to Hellenic Train data. Others scoured the field with flashlights and checked underneath the wreckage. ", A passenger who escaped from the fifth carriage told Skai TV: "Windows were being smashed and people were screaming One of the windows caved in from the impact of iron from the other train.". One survivor said there was panic among passengers, and fires that burned 'right and left. 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. Multiple cars derailed and at least three burst into flames after the two trains ran into each other at high speed just before midnight Tuesday, near the town of Tempe in northern 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 Tuesday night, killing at least 36 people and injuring some 85, officials said Wednesday. 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. There's debris flung all around the crash site.". "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," spokesperson Vassilis Vathrakogiannis said. Now it's set for an overhaul. In the morning, cranes were lifting derailed carriages, as rescuers scoured through the wreckage. At least 29 people are dead and 85 injured after a commercial train and a passenger train collided and derailed in Greece on Tuesday. "There was panic in the carriage, people were screaming," another young man told SKAI TV. "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. Tuesday, February 28, 2023, NEW: Its not polite to pretend boys can be girls, SCOTUS takes on Bidens student debt agenda. Local media said the train left Athens around 7.30 pm local time on Tuesday. Karamanlis said the Greek railway system was not up to 21st-century standards when he took office. 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. Visiting the crash scene, Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said that the government must help the injured recover and identify the dead. Hospital officials in the nearby city of Larissa said at least 25 people had serious injuries. 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. At least 32 people have died after a passenger train collided with an oncoming freight train in northern Greece early on Wednesday. The cargo train had been travelling from Thessaloniki to Larissa. Dozens hurt in fiery train crash, derailment in Greece. For 10, 15 seconds it was chaos, Stergios Minenis, 28, told the BBC. Pic: AP, Aerials in daylight show extent of train crash in Greece. Terms of Use / Privacy Policy / Manage Newsletters, - Hospital units used to treat burn victims had been alerted in the area and dozens of ambulances were involved in the rescue effort. After sunrise, rescuers turned to heavy machinery to start moving large pieces of the trains. We are pulling out people alive, injuredthere are dead. PASSENGERS SAY TRAIN CRASH WAS LIKE AN EXPLOSION. Web19th century 1830s. Larissa's chief coroner, Roubini Leondari, said so far 43 bodies had been brought to her for examination, and would require DNA identification as they were largely disfigured. Greek police said the manager of the train station in the central city of Larissa was arrested Wednesday in connection with the head-on collision. "They were looking around, searching; they didn't know where they were.". A teenage survivor who didn't 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 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. Costas Agorastos, the regional governor of the Thessaly area, told Greece's Skai Television the two trains crashed head on at high speed. Credit:AP. Multiple cars derailed and at least one burst into flames. The collision between a freight train and an oncoming passenger train occurred near Tempe early on Wednesday. The fire that raged in the train crash reached temperatures of 1300 degrees Celsius (2372 degrees Fahrenheit), the fire department said in a news release, and the heat from the fire caused delays in rescue and removal operations. It will take a long time, said Sarianidis. "I express my condolences to those who lost loved ones or suffered in this disaster.". The fire brigade said it was informed of the accident shortly before midnight. Patrick Quinn and David Rising contributed to this story from Bangkok. 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. There were many big pieces of steel, he said. "I feel so sorry for the parents of these kids.". Rescuers wearing head lamps worked in thick smoke, pulling pieces of mangled metal from the cars to search for trapped people. 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. By Sunita Patel-Carstairs and Sharon Marris, news reporters, Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player. Dear President Biden: War in Ukraine isnt just about Ukraine, There can be no genuine budget discipline without entitlement reform, Two birds, one stone: 1619 Project vindicates capitalism. "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," said Vassilis Varthakoyiannis, a spokesperson for Greece's firefighting service. "We are living through a tragedy. A passenger train collided with an oncoming freight train, causing a fiery crash on Wednesday in northern Greece. They are in very bad condition. A passenger who escaped from the fifth carriage told the television network: "Windows were being smashed and people were screaming". Survivors said several passengers were thrown through the windows of the train cars due to the impact. He said he was taking responsibility for "long-standing failures" in the country's transport network. "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. A passenger train collided with an oncoming freight train in northern Greece early on Wednesday, killing multiple people and injuring scores of others. TEMPE, Greece -- Rescuers searched for survivors Wednesday in the mangled, burned-out wreckage of two trains that slammed into each other in northern Greece, killing at least 43 people and crumpling carriages into twisted steel knots in the country's worst-ever rail crash. Smoke rises from trains as firefighters and rescuers operate after a collision near Tempe, in northern Greece, early on March 1, 2023. At least 66 of those injured were still hospitalized, six of them in intensive care, as of 10 a.m. local time. A passenger train collided with an oncoming freight train in northern Greece early on Wednesday, killing multiple people and injuring scores of others. Railway safety in Greece has come under scrutiny in recent years, and the accident late Tuesday is the countrys deadliest, according to local media. At least 32 people are reported to have been killed and dozens injured after two trains collided in 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. Others scoured the field with flashlights and checked underneath the wreckage. Is it more dangerous than the old one? Another two people were detained for questioning. This year was the first time the festival, which precedes Lent, was celebrated in full since the start of the pandemic in 2020. We are facing an unimaginable tragedy, Sakellaropoulou said in a statement posted to her offices website. Rescuers turned to heavy machinery to start moving large pieces of wreckage, revealing more bodies and dismembered remains. He said 40 passengers had been taken to hospital with injuries, while about 250 were evacuated to Thessaloniki on buses. At least 32 people have been killed and 85 others injured in a train collision in central Greece. "Unfortunately, I have to interrupt my visit in order to be close to my people, to support those who need it," she told a jointnews conference in Chisinau with Moldovan President Maia Sandu. 1837 Seaboard and Roanoke Railroad collision, Suffolk, Virginia; 3 killed plus dozens injured. "People, naturally, were scared - very scared," he said. 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. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. (AP) The incident took place in Tempe, near the north of Athens. Essential reporting and analysis from correspondents around the world. "I feel so sorry for the parents of these kids.". Associated Press Man survives month lost in Amazon by eating insects, drinking urine. Turn on desktop notifications for breaking stories about interest? AFP cited Greek emergency services as saying roughly 150 firefighters and 40 ambulances had responded. 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. Our carriage didnt derail, but the ones in front did and were smashed, he said, visibly shaken. More than 200 people who were unharmed or suffered minor injuries were taken by bus to Thessaloniki, 130 kilometers (80 miles) to the north. They were looking around, searching; they didnt know where they were.. He said dazed and disoriented people were escaping out of the train's rear cars as he arrived. 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 as of Wednesday morning. We are living through a tragedy. 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. "I feel so sorry for the parents of these kids.". Emergency workers found several bodies dozens of meters (feet) away from the cars, ERT reported. This is a terrible tragedy that is hard to comprehend, said Deputy Health Minister Mina Gaga. "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. Television footage showed derailed carriages with cargo containers flipped over and crash debris strewn across a nearby road. Fire service officials said 36 people were killed and at least 85 were injured. Box 500 Station A Toronto, ON Canada, M5W 1E6. Them catching fire questioned by police but had not been detained as of Wednesday morning to visit the scene ``... 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