"Temperatures were particularly high, reaching even 1,300 degrees Celsius (about 2,700 Fahrenheit)," Varthakogiannis told journalists. The first four carriages of the passenger train were derailed in the crash, with the first two carriages, which caught fire, almost completely destroyed, Agorastos said. Greeces firefighting service said 57 people remained hospitalized late Wednesday, including six in intensive care. Others scoured the field with flashlights and checked underneath the wreckage. 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. Search and rescue efforts continue through thick smoke, per AP. The government declared three days of national mourning from Wednesday, while flags flew at half-staff outside all European Commission buildings in Brussels. One passenger told state broadcaster ERT: "There was fire next to us. A picture taken with a drone shows firefighters and rescue crews working to extricate passengers from trains after a collision near Larissa city, Greece. Unfortunately, our efforts have not been sufficient to prevent such a bad incident. A passenger train travelling from Athens to the northern city of Thessaloniki collided with a freight train outside Larissa just before midnight. At least 36 people were killed and dozens injured in a head-on collision between two trains in Greece, local authorities said. The crash killed at least 36 people and injured at least 85 people. A man who was trying to ascertain the fate of his daughter, who was on the train, saying he had a harrowing phone conversation with her before she was cut off. The cause of the collision is unknown pending further investigation, but Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said the Greek government would do everything it can to find out what caused the crash. Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis also visited the site, pledging to probe the causes of the crash and prevent a recurrence of such a tragedy. "Fortunately we were in the penultimate car and we got out alive. He said 40 passengers had been taken to hospital with injuries, while about 250 were evacuated to Thessaloniki on buses. A passenger train collided with an oncoming freight train in northern Greece early on Wednesday, killing multiple people and injuring scores of others. 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. There's debris flung all around the crash site.". ", "The front section of the train was smashed. I also wish for a speedy recovery for all the injured.. The crash killed at least 26 people and injured at least 85 people. "We are living through a tragedy. Greek Transport Minister Kostas Karamanlis has since submitted his resignation over the incident. COSTAS KANTOURIS and NICHOLAS PAPHITIS Associated Press, Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. Greek authorities said they had started identifying victims but did not yet know the exact toll, with at least 194 surviving passengers transferred to Thessaloniki by bus. Man survives month lost in Amazon by eating insects, drinking urine. Authorities arrested the stationmaster at the trains last stop, in the city of Larissa. 1833 Hightstown rail accident, Hightstown, New Jersey; 2 killed plus 15 injured.Earliest recorded train accident involving the death of passengers. "There was panic the fire was immediate, as we were turning over we were being burned, fire was right and left. "I feel so sorry for the parents of these kids.". The crash, which also injured 85 people, occurred shortly before midnight in the Tempe Valley in central Greece, the Hellenic Fire Service said. Government officials said the army has been asked to help with the rescue. This is a terrible tragedy that is hard to comprehend, said Deputy Health Minister Mina Gaga. 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. After sunrise, rescuers turned to heavy machinery to start moving large pieces of the trains, revealing more bodies and dismembered remains. "The trains were completely destroyed, both passenger and freight trains.". Officials said the army had been contacted to assist. They were looking around, searching; they didnt know where they were.. Train crash, derailment in Greece injures at least 60 in fires, ruins. The whole of Europe is mourning with you, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said in a tweet Wednesday. PASSENGERS SAY TRAIN CRASH WAS LIKE AN EXPLOSION. Rail operator Hellenic Train said the northbound passenger train from Athens to Thessaloniki, Greeces second-largest city, had about 350 passengers on board. It will take a long time, said Sarianidis. "The trains were completely destroyed, both passenger and freight trains.". The cause remains unknown. "People, naturally, were scared very scared," he said. Rescuers turned to heavy machinery to start moving large pieces of wreckage, revealing more bodies and dismembered remains. People, naturally, were scared very scared, he said. We're getting cranes to come in and special lifting equipment clear the debris and lift the rail cars. At least 29 people are dead and 85 injured after a commercial train and a passenger train collided and derailed in Greece on Tuesday. Dozens hurt in fiery train crash, derailment in Greece. The passenger train was traveling from the capital, Athens, to Thessaloniki, Greeces second-largest city, when it and the cargo train collided. 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. 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. 1837 Seaboard and Roanoke Railroad collision, Suffolk, Virginia; 3 killed plus dozens injured. In the Philippines, there are more mothers like her, 'Western law has finally caught up.' My hair is burning, he told ERT, without giving his name. 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. 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. We found a hole and from there we managed to get out. Multiple cars derailed and at least one burst into flames. Nearly 30 people were killed and 85 people were injured after a freight and passenger train collided with each other in Greece. The cause of the deadliest rail crash in Greece in decades remained unclear. All Rights Reserved, Stationmaster arrested in connection to Greece train crash that killed at least 36. More than 200 people who were unharmed in the crash or suffered minor injuries were transported by bus to Thessaloniki, 130 kilometresto the north. He said it appears the crash was "mainly due to a tragic human error.. There were many big pieces of steel, he said. Smokes were seen from where the accident took place. At least 32 people have died after a passenger train collided with an oncoming freight train in northern Greece early on Wednesday. A passenger train collided with an oncoming freight train in northern Greece early Wednesday morning. Survivors said several passengers were thrown through the windows of the train cars due to the impact. Now it's set for an overhaul. 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. Tumbling over, fires, cables hanging, broken windows, people screaming, people trapped.. Many of the passengers would have been returning home after a long holiday weekend marking the beginning of Greek Orthodox lent. Survivors said several passengers were thrown through the windows of the train cars on impact. 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.". Tempe, Greece: A passenger train carrying hundreds of people collided at high speed with an oncoming freight train in a fiery wreck in northern Greece early on Wednesday, killing 32 people and injuring at least 85, officials said. 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. Officials said this included university students returning home after a long holiday weekend marking the beginning of Greek Orthodox lent. Subscribe to our channel for the latest updates on Russias war in Ukraine. Before dawn the next day, rescuers searched through twisted, smoking wreckage for survivors. Web19th century 1830s. At least two train cars appeared to be tipped sideways near the track, while one was severely dented, with gaping windows, as firefighters worked to extricate passengers. The collision between freight and passenger trains occurred some 235 miles north of Athens and left several cars derailed. Gatopoulos reported from Athens. 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. Are you on Telegram? Agorastos described the collision on state television as "very powerful" and said it was "a terrible night. "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.". Derailed carriages, badly damaged with broken windows and thick plumes of smoke, could be seen on the site. 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. 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. Greece had the highest overall railway fatality rate among 29 countries studied in a 2022 safety report by the European Union Agency for Railways, as well as the seventh-highest passenger fatality rate. Our carriage didnt derail, but the ones in front did and were smashed, he said, visibly shaken. 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. ', CBC's Journalistic Standards and Practices. Essential reporting and analysis from correspondents around the world. Greeces firefighting service said some 66 people were hospitalized, including six in intensive care. Pope Francis sent his condolences and passed along blessings to those injured and to emergency workers, according to the Vaticans news agency. Several of the dead are believed to have been found in the restaurant car near the front of the passenger train. Wed Mar 1 2023 - 06:16. 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. This is his story of survival. "This is a terrible tragedy that is hard to comprehend," said Deputy Health Minister Mina Gaga. Hospital officials in the nearby city of Larissa said at least 25 of those hurt had serious injuries. This year was the first time the festival, which precedes Lent, was celebrated in full since the start of the pandemic in 2020. On Wednesday, rescuers turned to cranes and other heavy machinery to start moving large pieces of the trains, revealing more bodies and dismembered remains. "Carriage one and two no longer exist, and the third has derailed," he said. 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. 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. Police took their names as they arrived, in an effort to track anyone who may be missing. And from there we managed to get out Minister Kostas Karamanlis has since submitted his resignation over incident. The whole of Europe is mourning with you, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said in a Wednesday! 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