2023 CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved. He used a bag to break the window of his car, the fourth, and escape. 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. A passenger train travelling from Athens to the northern city of Thessaloniki collided with a freight train outside Larissa just before midnight. 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. 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. By Sunita Patel-Carstairs and Sharon Marris, news reporters, Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player. The collision was so violent that the first two carriages of the passenger train "no longer exist", he told Skai television. Rescue crews illuminated the scene with floodlights in the hours before dawn on Wednesday as they searched through the twisted, smoking wreckage for survivors. "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. Hospital officials in the nearby city of Larissa said at least 25 people had serious injuries. 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. "We were turning over in the wagon until we fell on our sides then there was panic, cables [everywhere], fire. At least 32 people are reported to have been killed and dozens injured after two trains collided in Greece. 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. Transportation Minister Kostas Karamanlis resigned, saying he was stepping down as a basic indication of respect for the memory of the people who died so unfairly., Karamanlis said he had made every effort to improve a railway system that had been in a state that doesn't befit the 21st century., But, he added, When something this tragic happens it's impossible to continue as if nothing has happened.. ", 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.". Officials said this included university students returning home after a long holiday weekend marking the beginning of Greek Orthodox lent. A passenger train collided with an oncoming freight train causing a fiery crash on Wednesday in northern Greece. "They were looking around, searching; they didn't know where they were. After sunrise, rescuers turned to heavy machinery to start moving large pieces of the trains. Eight rail employees were among those killed in the crash, including the two operators of the freight train and the two operators of the passenger train, according to Greek Railroad Workers Union President Yannis Nitsas. Updated on: March 1, 2023 / 9:20 AM This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Rescue crews illuminated the scene with floodlights before dawn on Wednesday as they searched frantically through the twisted, smoking wreckage for survivors. Please enter valid email address to continue. Many were evacuated to Thessaloniki, where one woman ran to embrace her daughter as she disembarked from a bus with other survivors. Police said the 59-year-old stationmaster in Larissa was arrested, and a further two people detained for questioning. Hellenic Train, which has added high-speed services in recent years, is operated by Italy's FS Group, which runs rail services in several European countries. Sixty-six of the 85 injured people were hospitalised, with six of those in intensive care, a fire brigade official said. Our carriage didnt derail, but the ones in front did and were smashed, he said, visibly shaken. "They were travelling at great speed and one [driver] didn't know the other was coming," he said. Passengers who received minor injuries or were unharmed were transported by bus to Thessaloniki, 130km to the north. (Video: The Washington Post). The crash, which also injured 85 people, occurred shortly before midnight in the Tempe Valley in central Greece, the Hellenic Fire Service said. Tumbling over, fires, cables hanging, broken windows, people screaming, people trapped.. Others scoured the field with flashlights and checked underneath the wreckage. 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. Rail operator Hellenic Train said the northbound passenger train from Athens to Thessaloniki, Greeces second-largest city, had about 350 passengers on board. Nearly 30 people were killed and 85 people were injured after a freight and passenger train collided with each other in Greece. Later in the year, a second accident resulted in ten injuries, with two of them ultimately dying. A volunteer rescue worker told ERT those on the scene were "living through a tragedy". 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. At least 66 of those injured were still hospitalized, six of them in intensive care, as of 10 a.m. local time. The government declared three days of national mourning from Wednesday, while flags flew at half-staff outside all European Commission buildings in Brussels. Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis also visited the site, pledging to probe the causes of the crash and prevent a recurrence of such a tragedy. 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. The good news about egg prices. Rescuers wearing head lamps worked in thick smoke, pulling pieces of mangled metal from the cars to search for trapped people. 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. March 1, 2023 11.14am. The crash killed at least 26 people and injured at least 85 people. Another woman, who was waiting there, said her child was not picking up the phone. Wed Mar 1 2023 - 06:16. One survivor said there was panic among passengers, and fires that burned 'right and left. 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. Smoke rose from trains as firefighters and rescuers tried to help out the victims after the accident. Hellenic Train, which has added high-speed services in recent years, is operated by Italy's FS Group, which runs rail services in several European countries. 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. The cargo train was traveling from Thessaloniki to Larissa with a crew of two. 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. AEST = Australian Eastern Standard Time which is 10 hours ahead of GMT (Greenwich Mean Time), abc.net.au/news/passenger-train-freight-train-collide-central-greece/102038088. We are talking about an unspeakable tragedy. Five hours later, we are finding bodies.". The cargo train had been travelling from Thessaloniki to Larissa. They did not release the mans name or the reason for the arrest, but the stationmaster is responsible for rail traffic on that stretch of the tracks. Several of the dead are believed to have been found in the restaurant area near the front of the passenger train. 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. Hellenic Train is operated by Italys FS Group, which runs rail services in several European countries. We are living through a tragedy. Many of the passengers were young, said Apostolos Komnos, the head of the intensive care unit at the General Hospital of Larissa. Smoke rises from trains as firefighters and rescuers operate after a collision near Tempe, in northern Greece, early on March 1, 2023. The passenger train was carrying 342 travellers and 10 crew, while two crew were on the cargo train, according to Hellenic Train data. 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. He said dazed and disoriented people were escaping out of the train's rear cars as he arrived. The collision between a freight train and an oncoming passenger train occurred near Tempe early on Wednesday. It is a priority for CBC to create products that are accessible to all in Canada including people with visual, hearing, motor and cognitive challenges. Others scoured the field with flashlights and checked underneath the wreckage. The stationmaster was arrested in Larissa in connection to the crash and two others were brought in for questions, The Associated Press reported. Nearly 30 people were killed and 85 people were injured after a freight and passenger train collided with each other in Greece. Subscribe to our channel for the latest updates on Russias war in Ukraine. Two rail officials were being questioned by police but had not been detained. They said others fought to free themselves after the passenger train buckled, slamming into a field near a gorge about 235 miles north of Athens. Some victims were found up to 40 metres away. Local media said the train left Athens around 7.30 pm local time on Tuesday. Greece's firefighting service said some 66 people were hospitalized, including six in intensive care. Theres debris flung all around the crash site.. Multiple cars derailed and at least one burst into flames. Others scoured the field with flashlights and checked underneath the wreckage. Many of the passengers were students returning to Thessaloniki from Carnival, but officials said but no detailed passenger list was available. Later in the year, a second accident resulted in ten injuries, with two of them ultimately dying. Officials said the army had been contacted to assist. Greeces firefighting service said some 66 people were hospitalized, including six in intensive care. 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. Patrick Quinn and David Rising contributed to this story from Bangkok. The collision between a freight train and an oncoming passenger train occurred near Tempe early on Wednesday. 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. "Our carriage didn't derail, but the ones in front did and were smashed," he said, visibly shaken. A passenger named Lazos told the newspaper Proto Thema that the experience had been very shocking. "I feel so sorry for the parents of these kids.". First and foremost, our thoughts today are with the relatives of the victims. What appeared to be the third carriage lay atop the clumped remains of the first two. Before dawn the next day, rescuers searched through twisted, smoking wreckage for survivors. Footage showed rescuers wearing head lamps surrounded by thick smoke, pulling pieces of mangled metal from the carriages to search for trapped people. Police took their names as they arrived, in an effort to track anyone who may be missing. 1837 Seaboard and Roanoke Railroad collision, Suffolk, Virginia; 3 killed plus dozens injured. Workers also were seen on live broadcasts moving a body on a stretcher into an ambulance. They were looking around, searching; they didnt know where they were.. Most (of the bodies) are young people, she told ERT. 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. 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. Police took their names as they arrived, in an effort to track anyone who may be missing. A derailed passenger train is seen following a collision with a cargo train in the Tempe valley near Larissa, Greece, March 1, 2023. At least 32 people are reported to have been killed and dozens injured after two trains collided in Greece. 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. Source: Getty / Anadolu Agency, Murat whistled until he was found under rubble in Trkiye. She told me were on fire. The train from Athens to Thessaloniki was carrying 350 passengers, many of them students returning from raucous Carnival celebrations. A passenger train collided with an oncoming freight train in northern Greece early Wednesday morning. Authorities set up a hotline for relatives of passengers seeking information on family members. Rail operator Hellenic Train reported about 350 people had been on the passenger train, which left Athens at 7.22pm (19:22 GMT). There was panic in the carriage, you couldn't see around you because of the smoke.". "We are living through a tragedy. Smokes were seen from where the accident took place. 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. Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. By subscribing, you agree to SBSs terms of service and privacy policy including receiving email updates from SBS. Costas Agorastos, the regional governor of the Thessaly area, told Greece's Skai Television the two trains crashed head on at high speed. 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. Space to play or pause, M to mute, left and right arrows to seek, up and down arrows for volume. Many of those aboard the passenger train were students returning from Greece's raucous Carnival, officials said. Greek Transport Minister Kostas Karamanlis has since submitted his resignation over the incident. "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. Fire Service Officials said 32 people were killed and at least 85 were injured. Survivors said several passengers were thrown through the windows of the train cars due to the impact. He said dazed and disoriented people were escaping out of the train's rear carriages as he arrived. They were travelling at great speed and one (driver) didnt know the other was coming, he added. I wasnt hurt but I was stained with blood from other people who were hurt near me, he said. Agorastos described the collision on state television as "very powerful" and said it was "a terrible night. Multiple cars derailed and at least three burst into flames after the collision just before midnight Tuesday near the town of Tempe as the passenger train was emerging from a highway underpass. The festivities had been canceled the previous three years because of the coronavirus pandemic. Ive never seen anything like this in my entire life. 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. In the Philippines, there are more mothers like her, 'Western law has finally caught up.' Railway safety in Greece has come under scrutiny in recent years, and the accident late Tuesday is the countrys deadliest, according to local media. 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. Multiple cars derailed and at least three burst into flames after the collision just before midnight Tuesday near the town of Tempe as the passenger train was emerging from a highway underpass. A passenger train travelling from Athens to the northern city of Thessaloniki collided with a freight train outside Larissa just before midnight. "Carriage one and two no longer exist, and the third has derailed," he said. Survivors said several passengers were thrown through the windows of the train cars due to the impact. More than 15 others were discharged after receiving initial treatment. 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. Associated Press reported reported that 350 passengers were on board the passenger train that was heading northbound from Athens to Police in the nearby city of Larissa said they had arrested a 59-year-old station master, who has been charged with causing mass deaths through negligence and causing grievous bodily harm through negligence. By midafternoon, Transportation Minister Kostas Karamanlis had resigned. The trains crashed just before the Vale of Tempe, a gorge that separates the regions of Thessaly and Macedonia. Greek President Katerina Sakellaropoulou broke off an official visit to Moldova to visit the scene, laying flowers beside the wreckage. "There were many big pieces of steel," said Vassilis Polyzos, a local resident who was one of the first people on the scene. "People, naturally, were scared very scared," he said. There's debris flung all around the crash site.". Another two people have been detained for questioning. Dozens hurt in fiery train crash, derailment in Greece. This is called political responsibility.. 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. "We're getting cranes to come in and special lifting equipment clear the debris and lift the rail cars. 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. On Wednesday, the government declared three days of national mourning. Smoke rose from trains as firefighters and rescuers tried to help out the victims after the accident. The trains crashed just before the Vale of Tempe, a gorge that separates the regions of Thessaly and Macedonia. He said 40 passengers had been taken to hospital with injuries, while about 250 were evacuated to Thessaloniki on buses. At least 29 people are dead and 85 injured after a commercial train and a passenger train collided and derailed in Greece on Tuesday. Its very difficult what we are going through today as a country, he told reporters. Police took their names as they arrived, in an effort to track anyone who may be missing. 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. We are facing an unimaginable tragedy, Sakellaropoulou said in a statement posted to her offices website. 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. Some victims were found up to 40 metres away to come in and special lifting equipment clear debris... 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