Agorastos described the collision on state television as "very powerful" and said it was "a terrible night. At least 16 people have been killed and dozens injured after a head-on collision between a passenger and cargo train in Greece. "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. At least 29 people are dead and 85 injured after a commercial train and a passenger train collided and derailed in Greece on Tuesday. Ive never seen anything like this in my entire life. Terms of Use / Privacy Policy / Manage Newsletters, - A passenger train collided with an oncoming freight train causing a fiery crash on Wednesday in northern Greece. (AP) The incident took place in Tempe, near the north of Athens. "We are living through a tragedy. An intercity passenger train collided at high speed with a cargo train outside the city of Larissa. Smoke rose from trains as firefighters and rescuers tried to help out the victims after the accident. "The trains were completely destroyed, both passenger and freight trains.". Fire Service Officials said 32 people were killed and at least 85 were injured. "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.". Rescue workers with high-powered torches were searching through the wreckage for trapped passengers. "They were looking around, searching; they didn't know where they were.". Agorastos described the collision on state television as "very powerful" and said it was "a terrible night. The train from Athens to Thessaloniki was carrying 350 passengers, many of them students returning from raucous Carnival celebrations. ", Vassilis Polyzos, a local resident who said he was one of the first people on the scene, said both trains were completely destroyed.. On Wednesday, the government declared three days of national mourning. A passenger train collided with an oncoming freight train in northern Greece early Wednesday morning. 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. Several of the dead are believed to have been found in the restaurant area near the front of the passenger train. Unfortunately, I have to interrupt my visit in order to be close to my people, to support those who need it, she told a joint news conference in the Moldovan capital, Chisinau, alongside Moldovan President Maia Sandu. All Rights Reserved, Stationmaster arrested in connection to Greece train crash that killed at least 36. A teenage survivor who did not give his name told Greek reporters as he got off one of the buses that just before the crash, he felt a strong braking and saw sparks and then there was a sudden stop. Copyright 2023 CBS Interactive Inc. All rights reserved. I also wish for a speedy recovery for all the injured.. We are living through a tragedy. Survivors said several passengers were thrown through the windows of the train cars due to the impact. Were sorry, this feature is currently unavailable. There was panic in the carriage, you couldn't see around you because of the smoke.". At least 36 people have been killed and dozens more injured in a train collision in central Greece. 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. After sunrise, rescuers turned to heavy machinery to start moving large pieces of the trains, revealing more bodies and dismembered remains. They are in very bad condition. Many of the approximately 350 people aboard the passenger train were students returning from Greeces raucous Carnival, officials said. Sources: Hellenic Fire Service, Geodata.gov.gr. 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. Smokes were seen from where the accident took place. 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. The possible cause of the collision was not immediately clear. 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 pontiff sends the assurance of his prayers to everyone affected by this tragedy, the message said. "Our carriage didn't derail, but the ones in front did and were smashed," he said, visibly shaken. He said dazed and disoriented people were escaping out of the train's rear cars as he arrived. "People, naturally, were scared very scared," he said. ", "The front section of the train was smashed. Why, with todays technology that has existed for many years, should so many lives hang on a human hand?. ", 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.". Greek Transport Minister Kostas Karamanlis has since submitted his resignation over the incident. Gogakos said the crash felt like an explosion, and some smoke entered the carriage. A volunteer rescue worker told ERT those on the scene were "living through a tragedy". The cause of the collision was not immediately clear. It was like an earthquake, Angelos Tsiamouras, another passenger, told ERT. 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. We are talking about an unspeakable tragedy. Others scoured the field with flashlights and checked underneath the wreckage. Many of the passengers were young, said Apostolos Komnos, the head of the intensive care unit at the General Hospital of Larissa. First and foremost, our thoughts today are with the relatives of the victims. Essential reporting and analysis from correspondents around the world. Later in the year, a second accident resulted in ten injuries, with two of them ultimately dying. A passenger train carrying hundreds of people collided at high speed with an oncoming freight train in central Greece late on Tuesday night, killing 36 peopleand injuring at least 85. How much could a short, brisk daily walk lower your health risks? "Our carriage didn't derail, but the ones in front did and were smashed," he said, visibly shaken. Rescue crews illuminated the scene with floodlights before dawn on Wednesday as they searched frantically through the twisted, smoking wreckage for survivors. Others scoured the field with flashlights and checked underneath the wreckage. 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 pain is unspeakable, he said. We will help them as much as we can, he said. Many of those aboard the passenger train were students returning from Greece's raucous Carnival, officials said. Derek Gatopoulos in Athens and Patrick Quinn and David Rising in Bangkok contributed to this story. "We're getting cranes to come in and special lifting equipment clear the debris and lift the rail cars. "It's tragic. 1894 shipwreck found in Lake Huron, confirming "powerful, tragic story", Bipartisan Senate group unveils rail safety bill in response to Ohio derailment, What to know about Shigella bacteria as drug-resistant strain spreads, Greece train crash is deadliest in decades. Associated Press reported reported that 350 passengers were on board the passenger train that was heading northbound from Athens to "I express my condolences to those who lost loved ones or suffered in this disaster.". A passenger train collided with an oncoming freight train in northern Greece early Wednesday morning. 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. I feel so sorry for the parents of these kids.. Fire Service Officials said 32 people were killed and at least 85 were injured. Greece's firefighting service said some 66 people were hospitalized, including six in intensive care. Two carriages of train in 'nightmare' crash 'no longer exist' - follow live updates. Residents of Larissa lined up to donate blood. Five hours later, we are finding bodies.". The government declared three days of national mourning, with flags flying at half-mast in a tribute to the victims. Is it more dangerous than the old one? 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.. 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. Why did Twitter suspend Sen. Mike Lees personal account? Nearly 30 people were killed and 85 people were injured after a freight and passenger train collided with each other in Greece. 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 an oncoming freight train in northern Greece early Wednesday morning. Opinion: We are in a new cold war. Smoke rose from trains as firefighters and rescuers tried to help out the victims after the accident. 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. The collision was so violent that the first two carriages of the passenger train "no longer exist", he told Skai television. "People, naturally, were scared - very scared," he said. Visiting the crash scene, Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said that the government must help the injured recover and identify the dead. 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. Theres debris flung all around the crash site.. 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. "I've never seen anything like this in my entire life," AFP quoted one rescue worker as saying as he emerged from the wreckage. The impact just before midnight Tuesday threw some passengers into ceilings and out the windows. The death toll was expected to rise further, a fire brigade official said. Rescuer Lazaros Sarianidis told ERT that crews were very carefully trying to disentangle steel, sheet metal and other material that was twisted together by the crash. Ambulances from several nearby towns were called in to take injured passengers to hospitals, while rescue workers continued to work in the thick smoke. "There were many big pieces of steel," said Vassilis Polyzos, a local resident who was one of the first people on the scene. At least 32 people are reported to have been killed and dozens injured after two trains collided in Greece. 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. "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 fire service spokesperson Vassilis Varthakoyiannis. When something so tragic happens, it is not possible to carry on as if nothing happened. 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