At least 32 people have been killed and 85 others injured in a train collision in central Greece. When search suggestions are available use up and down arrows to review and enter to select. Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis also visited the site, pledging to probe the causes of the crash and prevent a recurrence of such a tragedy. 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 crash, which also injured 85 people, occurred shortly before midnight in the Tempe Valley in central Greece, the Hellenic Fire Service said. 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. The trains crashed just before the Vale of Tempe, a gorge that separates the regions of Thessaly and Macedonia. Police said the 59-year-old stationmaster in Larissa was arrested, and a further two people detained for questioning. Survivors said several passengers were thrown through the windows of the train cars due to the impact. Another woman, who was waiting there, said her child was not picking up the phone. 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. Copyright 2023 The Washington Times, LLC. Nigerias Tinubu wins presidential election; opposition cries foul, Greece train collision kills at least 36; station master arrested, Ukraine live briefing: Ukraine marks first day of spring as battle for Bakhmut intensifies. 1837 Seaboard and Roanoke Railroad collision, Suffolk, Virginia; 3 killed plus dozens injured. Were working to restore it. Smoke rose from trains as firefighters and rescuers tried to help out the victims after the accident. A police statement identified the person arrestedonly as a 59-year-old man. "It was a nightmarish 10 seconds, in the flames. Fire service officials said 36 people were killed and at least 85 were injured. The government announced three days of national mourning. Passengers speaking to the BBC described hearing a big bang and escaping the fire that engulfed their train immediately after the collision. Survivors said several passengers were thrown through the windows of the train cars due to the impact. "Our carriage didn't derail, but the ones in front did and were smashed," he said, visibly shaken. "There were many big pieces of steel," said Vassilis Polyzos, a local resident who was one of the first people on the scene. Why, with todays technology that has existed for many years, should so many lives hang on a human hand?. Police took their names as they arrived, in an effort to track anyone who may be missing. "People, naturally, were scared - very scared," he said. This is his story of survival. Hellenic Train is operated by Italys FS Group, which runs rail services in several European countries. We are talking about an unspeakable tragedy. The impact caused a fire in a number of the passenger carriages, burning many commuters who were rushed to hospitals. Tuesday, February 28, 2023, NEW: Its not polite to pretend boys can be girls, SCOTUS takes on Bidens student debt agenda. 1833 Hightstown rail accident, Hightstown, New Jersey; 2 killed plus 15 injured.Earliest recorded train accident involving the death of passengers. An intercity passenger train collided at high speed with a cargo train outside the city of Larissa. Passengers killed, dozens injured in fiery Greece train crash. What appeared to be the third carriage lay atop the clumped remains of the first two. "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 resigns after deadly crash between passenger train and freight train | CBC News Loaded. ", 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. 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. The Associated Press contributed to this report. 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. "The trains were completely destroyed, both passenger and freight trains.". 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. A passenger train travelling from Athens to the northern city of Thessaloniki collided with a freight train outside Larissa just before midnight. "It's hard to describe the scene. 24/7 coverage of breaking news and live events. 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. Were sorry, this feature is currently unavailable. Karamanlis said the Greek railway system was not up to 21st-century standards when he took office. The collision between a freight train and an oncoming passenger train occurred near Tempe early on Wednesday. Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. We are going to be here all night until we finish;until we find the last person.". At least 16 people have been killed and dozens injured after a head-on collision between a passenger and cargo train in Greece. 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. We will help them as much as we can, he said. "We are living through a tragedy. 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 have been killed and 85 others injured in a train collision in central Greece. I consider it a necessary element of our democracy that the citizens of our country trust the political system. Meanwhile, Greek President Katerina Sakellaropoulou said she was cutting short a visit to Moldova to return to Greece. We are pulling out people alive, injured there are dead. Most (of the bodies) are young people, she told ERT. While the track is double, both trains were traveling in opposite directions on the same line near the Vale of Tempe, a river valley about 380 kilometers (235 miles) north of Athens. The government declared three days of national mourning, with flags flying at half-mast in a tribute to the victims of the crash. Wed Mar 1 2023 - 06:16. 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. We're getting cranes to come in and special lifting equipment clear the debris and lift the rail cars. 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. We found a hole and from there we managed to get out. Rescue effort under way after passenger train carrying 350 people collided with a cargo train near central city of Larissa. 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. She told me were on fire. Local media said the train left Athens around 7.30 pm local time on Tuesday. 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. The collision occurred as the passenger train emerged from a tunnel near the Vale of Tempe, a gorge that separates the regions of Thessaly and Macedonia. Survivors said several passengers were thrown through the windows due to the impact. Tumbling over, fires, cables hanging, broken windows, people screaming, people trapped.. The crash killed at least 26 people and injured at least 85 people. 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. "This is a terrible tragedy that is hard to comprehend," said Deputy Health Minister Mina Gaga. Rescuers turned to heavy machinery to start moving large pieces of wreckage, revealing more bodies and dismembered remains. I feel so sorry for the parents of these kids.. 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. Several of the dead are believed to have been found in the restaurant area near the front of the passenger train. The trains crashed just before the Vale of Tempe, a gorge that separates the regions of Thessaly and Macedonia. The trains crashed just before the Vale of Tempe, a gorge that separates the regions of Thessaly and Macedonia. "I express my condolences to those who lost loved ones or suffered in this disaster.". The trains were completely destroyed, both passenger and freight trains.. A train carrying hundreds of passengers collided with an oncoming freight train in northern Greece, killing and injuring dozens passengers. They said others fought to free themselves after the passenger train buckled, slamming into a field next to the tracks. Two rail officials were being questioned by police but had not been detained. Many of the passengers were young, said Apostolos Komnos, the head of the intensive care unit at the General Hospital of Larissa. Footage from the crash site showed flames surrounding the derailed train cars, as well as the swirling lights of firetrucks and ambulances nearby. Costas Agorastos, the regional governor of the Thessaly area, told Greeces Skai Television the two trains collided head on at high speed. "They were looking around, searching; they didn't know where they were.". The crash killed at least 36 people and injured at least 85 people. Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis office announced a three-day national mourning period. He said dazed and disoriented people were escaping out of the trains rear cars as he arrived. The cargo train was traveling from Thessaloniki to Larissa with a crew of two. 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. According to the Italian company's website, it is the main provider of rail transport for passengers and freight in Greece and runs 342 passenger and commercial routes a day. The crash killed at least 26 people and injured at least 85 people. 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. Officials said the army had been contacted to assist. Search and rescue efforts continue through thick smoke, per AP. 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 wagon started to spin and then it ended up on its side and we got out. 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. At least 32 people have been killed and 85 others injured in a train collision in central Greece. At least 16 people have been killed and dozens injured after a head-on collision between a passenger and cargo train in Greece. Many of the passengers would have been returning home after a long holiday weekend marking the beginning of Greek Orthodox lent. One survivor said there was panic among passengers, and fires that burned 'right and left. Greece sold railway operator TRAINOSE to Italy's Ferrovie dello Stato Italiane in 2017 as part of its international bailout program, expecting hundreds of millions to be invested in rail infrastructure in the coming years. Were getting cranes to come in and special lifting equipment clear the debris and lift the rail cars. A passenger train collided with an oncoming freight train causing a fiery crash on Wednesday in northern Greece. Gogakos said the crash felt like an explosion, and some smoke entered the carriage. "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. "The 59-year-old station master was arrested," AFP quoted a local police spokesperson as saying, adding that charges would be announced later in the day, but providing no information on what those charges might be. The death toll was expected to rise further, a fire brigade official said. 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. Before dawn, rescuers searched through twisted, smoking wreckage for survivors. "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. Fire Service Officials said 32 people were killed and at least 85 were injured. 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. 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. In the morning, cranes were lifting derailed carriages, as rescuers scoured through the wreckage. They said others fought to free themselves after the passenger train buckled, slamming into a field near a gorge, about 380 kilometres north of Athens. (AP) The incident took place in Tempe, near the north of Athens. "People, naturally, were scared - very scared," he said. We are going to be here all night, until we finish, until we find the last person, a volunteer rescue worker told state broadcaster ERT. 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. He said it was a terrible night. 1833 Hightstown rail accident, Hightstown, New Jersey; 2 killed plus 15 injured.Earliest recorded train accident involving the death of passengers. Its very difficult what we are going through today as a country, he told reporters. He used a bag to break the window of his car, the fourth, and escape. Survivors said several passengers were thrown through the windows of the train cars on impact. "The trains were completely destroyed, both passenger and freight trains.". Greek government spokesman Yiannis Economou said earlier that the two trains had been running in opposite directions on the same track for "several kilometers.". 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