Broadcaster SKAI showed footage of derailed carriages, thick plumes of smoke, badly damaged broken windows, and debris strewn across the road. Wed Mar 1 2023 - 06:16. This story will be updated as more information develops. More than 15 others were discharged after receiving initial treatment. Associated Press The cargo train was traveling from Thessaloniki to Larissa with a crew of two. This service may include material from Agence France-Presse (AFP), APTN, Reuters, AAP, CNN and the BBC World Service which is copyright and cannot be reproduced. (Video: The Washington Post). They said others fought to free themselves after the passenger train buckled, slamming into a field next to the tracks. Many of the approximately 350 people aboard the passenger train were students returning from Greeces raucous Carnival, officials said. "I feel so sorry for the parents of these kids.". Tuesday, February 28, 2023, NEW: Its not polite to pretend boys can be girls, SCOTUS takes on Bidens student debt agenda. Rescue crews illuminated the scene with floodlights before dawn Wednesday as they searched frantically through the twisted, smoking wreckage for survivors. Many of those aboard the passenger train were students returning from Greece's raucous Carnival, officials said. "They were looking around, searching; they didn't know where they were.". 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. Associated Press reported reported that 350 passengers were on board the passenger train that was heading northbound from Athens to We found a hole and from there we managed to get out. Hellenic Train is operated by Italys FS Group, which runs rail services in several European countries. 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. About 250 passengers who received minor injuries or were unharmed weretaken safely to Thessaloniki on busesearly on Wednesday morning. Man survives month lost in Amazon by eating insects, drinking urine. Copyright 2023 Deseret News Publishing Company. Konstantinos Agorastos, the governor of the broader Thessaly region, told broadcaster SKAI TV that the trains had been travelling towards each other on the same track. Please try again later. Smoke rises from trains as firefighters and rescuers operate after a collision near Larissa city, Greece, early on Wednesday. "I've never seen anything like this in my entire life," AFP quoted one rescue worker as saying as he emerged from the wreckage. / CBS/AP. At least 29 people are dead and 85 injured after a commercial train and a passenger train collided and derailed in Greece on Tuesday. They were looking around, searching; they didnt know where they were.. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. A volunteer rescue worker told ERT those on the scene were "living through a tragedy". Several of the dead are believed to have been found in the restaurant area near the front of the passenger train. 1837 Seaboard and Roanoke Railroad collision, Suffolk, Virginia; 3 killed plus dozens injured. Greek President Katerina Sakellaropoulou said she was cutting short a visit to Moldova to return to Greece. 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. Police took their names as they arrived, in an effort to track anyone who may be missing. The trains crashed just before the Vale of Tempe, a gorge that separates the regions of Thessaly and Macedonia. 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. Two rail officials were being questioned by police but had not been detained. 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. "There was panic in the carriage, people were screaming," another young man told SKAI TV. March 1, 2023 11.14am. At least 36 people have been killed and dozens more injured in a train collision in central Greece. 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. Copyright 2023 The Washington Times, LLC. PASSENGERS SAY TRAIN CRASH WAS LIKE AN EXPLOSION. 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.. "People, naturally, were scared - very scared," he said. Associated Press reported reported that 350 passengers were on board the passenger train that was heading northbound from Athens to The head of emergency unit in Larissa hospital Apostolos Komnos said most of the victims were young people, in their 20s. Survivors said several passengers were thrown through the windows of the train cars due to the impact. Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis was to visit the scene later in the day. March 1, 2023 11.14am. 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. Sixty-six of the 85 injured people were hospitalised, with six of those in intensive care, a fire brigade official said. A crane operator, firefighters and rescuers work the scene of a collision in Tempe, about 235 miles north of Athens, near Larissa city, Greece, Wednesday, March 1, 2023. Rail operator Hellenic Train said the northbound passenger train to Thessaloniki, Greece's second-largest city, had about 350 passengers on board. Box 500 Station A Toronto, ON Canada, M5W 1E6. The government announced three days of national mourning. The region's governor said the collision was so violent that the first two carriages of the passenger train "no longer exist". Search and rescue efforts continue through thick smoke, per AP. Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis was to visit the scene later in the day. Pope Francis sent his condolences and passed along blessings to those injured and to emergency workers, according to the Vaticans news agency. (AP) The incident took place in Tempe, near the north of Athens. The Associated Press contributed to this report. 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. We are living through a tragedy. Wed Mar 1 2023 - 06:16. Two trains collided head-on inGreece,killing at least 36 people and injuring 85, late on Tuesday night, but the cause of the deadliest rail crash inGreecein decades remained unclear. 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. Greek government spokesman Yiannis Economou said earlier that the two trains had been running in opposite directions on the same track for "several kilometers.". Several of the dead are believed to have been found in the restaurant car near the front of the passenger train. 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.. At least 32 people have died after a passenger train collided with an oncoming freight train in northern Greece early on Wednesday. This dental device was sold to fix patients' jaws. Meanwhile, Greek President Katerina Sakellaropoulou said she was cutting short a visit to Moldova to return to Greece. Our carriage didnt derail, but the ones in front did and were smashed, he said, visibly shaken. Subscribe to our channel for the latest updates on Russias war in Ukraine. Rescuers wearing head lamps worked in thick smoke, pulling pieces of mangled metal from the cars to search for trapped people. At least 16 people have been killed and dozens injured after a head-on collision between a passenger and cargo train in Greece. 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. Many of the passengers would have been returning home after a long holiday weekend marking the beginning of Greek Orthodox lent. Rescue crews illuminated the scene with floodlights before dawn on Wednesday as they searched frantically through the twisted, smoking wreckage for survivors. 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. Some of the passenger carriages exploded in flames from the impact. Thessaloniki has a large student population. Our carriage didnt derail, but the ones in front did and were smashed, he said, visibly shaken. The crash took place outside the central city of Larissa late on Tuesday, when a passenger train heading from the capital, Athens, to Thessaloniki collided with a cargo train travelling from the northern city. 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. Train crash, derailment in Greece injures at least 60 in fires, ruins. I feel so sorry for the parents of these kids.. Credit:AP. Police took their names as they arrived, in an effort to track anyone who may be missing. An emergency government meeting was organised after the crash and Greek health minister Thanos Plevris went to the scene. Rescue workers with high-powered torches were searching through the wreckage for trapped passengers. 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. This is an indescribable tragedy, government spokesman Giannis Oikonomou said, adding that 500 workers from emergency services were at the scene of the crash. He said he was taking responsibility for "long-standing failures" in the country's transport network. 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. He said dazed and disoriented people were escaping out of the train's rear carriages as he arrived. Rescuers wearing head lamps worked in thick smoke, pulling pieces of mangled metal from the cars to search for trapped people. What appeared to be the third carriage lay atop the clumped remains of the first two. He said dazed and disoriented people were escaping out of the train's rear cars as he arrived. Rail operator Hellenic Train reported about 350 people had been on the passenger train, which left Athens at 7.22pm (19:22 GMT). Costas Agorastos, the regional governor of the Thessaly area, told Greece's Skai Television the two trains crashed head on at high speed. Passenger train from Athens collides head-on with freight train in Greece, killing 36 people. A passenger train collided with an oncoming freight train causing a fiery crash on Wednesday in northern Greece. A train carrying hundreds of passengers collided with an oncoming freight train in northern Greece, killing and injuring dozens passengers. At least 36 people were killed and dozens injured in a head-on collision between two trains in Greece, local authorities said. The pain is unspeakable, he said. I can guarantee one thing: We will find out the causes of this tragedy and we will do all that's in our power so that something like this never happens again, Mitsotakis said. Associated Press reported reported that 350 passengers were on board the passenger train that was heading northbound from Athens to We are pulling out people alive, injured there are dead.". Greek transport minister resigns after deadly crash between passenger train and freight train | CBC News Loaded. Al Jazeera Centre for Public Liberties & Human Rights. Were working to restore it. 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. Gogakos said the crash felt like an explosion, and some smoke entered the carriage. "I feel so sorry for the parents of these kids.". "They were looking around, searching; they didn't know where they were. The government declared three days of national mourning from Wednesday, while flags flew at half-staff outside all European Commission buildings in Brussels. "This is an indescribable tragedy," said government spokesman Giannis Oikonomou. This year was the first time the festival, which precedes Lent, was celebrated in full since the start of the pandemic in 2020. AFP cited Greek emergency services as saying roughly 150 firefighters and 40 ambulances had responded. Costas Agorastos, the regional governor of the Thessaly area, told Greeces Skai Television the two trains collided head on at high speed. A teenage survivor who did not give his name saidhe had used a bag to break open the window of his carriage and escape. Officials said the army had been contacted to assist. "There's debris flung all over the crash site.". Rescuers wearing head lamps worked in thick smoke, pulling pieces of mangled metal from the cars to search for trapped people. 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. Unfortunately, our efforts have not been sufficient to prevent such a bad incident. Police took their names as they arrived, in an effort to track anyone who may be missing. Space to play or pause, M to mute, left and right arrows to seek, up and down arrows for volume. At least 32 people have been killed and 85 others injured in a train collision in central Greece. "We still don't know the exact number of victims, we will investigate the reasons for (the crash) in full transparency," Infrastructure and Transport minister Kostas Karamanlis, in tears, told reporters. Greek Transport Minister Kostas Karamanlis has since submitted his resignation over the incident. 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.". 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. 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. 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. Derailed carriages, badly damaged with broken windows and thick plumes of smoke, could be seen on the site. "We are living through a tragedy. A passenger train travelling from Athens to the northern city of Thessaloniki collided with a freight train outside Larissa just before midnight. Stergios Minenis, a 28-year-old passenger who jumped to safety from the wreckage, said: "We heard a big bang. A passenger train travelling from Athens to the northern city of Thessaloniki collided with a freight train outside Larissa just before midnight. "It was like an earthquake," Angelos Tsiamouras, another passenger, told state broadcaster ERT. Another passenger car appeared to be mangled as a crane slowly began lifting it. The death toll was expected to rise further, a fire brigade official said. At least 66 people were injured in the crash, including six in intensive care, while about 250 passengers, some with minor injuries, were evacuated safely by bus to Thessaloniki, about 130km (80 miles) away. Survivors said the impact threw several passengers through the windows of train cars. Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis office announced a three-day national mourning period. 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. Rescuers turned to heavy machinery to start moving large pieces of wreckage, revealing more bodies and dismembered remains. There are 20 to 25 people still missing, so the death toll from the collision could change, according to the BBC. A passenger train collided with an oncoming freight train in northern Greece early Wednesday morning. An aerial view after a train collision in northern Greece that killed at least 32 people. They are in very bad condition. Police said the 59-year-old stationmaster in Larissa was arrested, and a further two people detained for questioning. There was a fire in the first cars and complete panic. "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 16 people have been killed and dozens injured after a head-on collision between a passenger and cargo train in Greece. "Our carriage didn't derail, but the ones in front did and were smashed," he said, visibly shaken. 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. Survivors said several passengers were thrown through the windows due to the impact. Source: Getty / Anadolu Agency, Murat whistled until he was found under rubble in Trkiye. Train collision in Greece kills at least 36; station master arrested. 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