The trains crashed just before the Vale of Tempe, a gorge that separates the regions of Thessaly and Macedonia. Sources: Hellenic Fire Service, Geodata.gov.gr. Associated Press reported reported that 350 passengers were on board the passenger train that was heading northbound from Athens to 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. / CBS/AP. Regional governor of Thessaly, Kostas Agorastos, said 250 survivors had been evacuated to Thessaloniki on buses. Why, with todays technology that has existed for many years, should so many lives hang on a human hand?. It was like an earthquake, Angelos Tsiamouras, another passenger, told ERT. The cause of the collision was not immediately clear. Our first task is to treat the injured and, from there, to identify the bodies., Opposition politician Nikos Androulakis, a member of the European Parliament, flew in from Brussels to visit the site. Several of the dead are believed to have been found in the restaurant area near the front of the passenger train. And this is very heavy for all of us and me personally., He called his stepping down the minimum sign of respect to the memory of the people who died so unjustly.. He said dazed and disoriented people were escaping out of the trains rear cars as he arrived. Visiting the crash scene, Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said that the government must help the injured recover and identify the dead. The fire brigade said it was informed of the accident shortly before midnight. When search suggestions are available use up and down arrows to review and enter to select. Greek government spokesman Yiannis Economou said earlier that the two trains had been running in opposite directions on the same track for "several kilometers.". The crash, which also injured 85 people, occurred shortly before midnight in the Tempe Valley in central Greece, the Hellenic Fire Service said. Many of the approximately 350 people aboard the passenger train were students returning from Greeces raucous Carnival, officials said. One passenger told state broadcaster ERT: "There was fire next to us. 1833 Hightstown rail accident, Hightstown, New Jersey; 2 killed plus 15 injured.Earliest recorded train accident involving the death of passengers. "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. I can guarantee one thing: We will find out the causes of this tragedy and we will do all thats in our power so that something like this never happens again, Mitsotakis said, per the AP. The Associated Press contributed to this report. 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 passenger train collided with an oncoming freight train causing a fiery crash on Wednesday in northern Greece. Pope Francis sent his condolences and passed along blessings to those injured and to emergency workers, according to the Vaticans news agency. Dozens hurt in fiery train crash, derailment in Greece. 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. The front section of the train was smashed. Police took their names as they arrived, in an effort to track anyone who may be missing. "It was a nightmarish 10 seconds, in the flames. Fire Service Officials said 32 people were killed and at least 85 were injured. The pontiff sends the assurance of his prayers to everyone affected by this tragedy, the message said. Sixty-six of those injured were hospitalised, six of whom in intensive care, the official said. Police took their names as they arrived, in an effort to track anyone who may be missing. 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. Karamanlis had pledged to investigate the cause of the incident. Smokes were seen from where the accident took place. We are living through a tragedy. Rescuers wearing head lamps worked in thick smoke, pulling pieces of mangled metal from the cars to search for trapped people. "It's tragic. Officials said many of the passengers on the Athens to Thessaloniki train were university students returning home after celebrating Carnival over the long weekend. Theres debris flung all around the crash site.. They said others fought to free themselves after the passenger train buckled, slamming into a field next to the tracks. The crash occurred as the passenger train emerged from a tunnel. A passenger named Lazos told the newspaper Proto Thema that the experience had been very shocking. Later in the year, a second accident resulted in ten injuries, with two of them ultimately dying. Were working to restore it. The death toll was expected to rise further, a fire brigade official said. 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. The region's governor said the collision was so violent that the first two carriages of the passenger train "no longer exist". Patrick Quinn and David Rising contributed to this story from Bangkok. Hospital units used to treat burn victims in the area were alerted and dozens of ambulances dispatched to the scene. 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. The crash killed at least 26 people and injured at least 85 people. "I've never seen anything like this in my entire life," AFP quoted one rescue worker as saying as he emerged from the wreckage. Tuesday, February 28, 2023, NEW: Its not polite to pretend boys can be girls, SCOTUS takes on Bidens student debt agenda. Meanwhile, Greek President Katerina Sakellaropoulou said she was cutting short a visit to Moldova to return to Greece. Kasulis Cho reported from Seoul, Francis from London and Parker from Washington. Greece's firefighting service said some 66 people were hospitalized, including six in intensive care. The trains crashed just before the Vale of Tempe, a gorge that separates the regions of Thessaly and Macedonia. 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. A passenger train collided with an oncoming freight train in northern Greece early Wednesday morning. There was panic in the carriage, people were screaming, a young man who was evacuated under a nearby bridge told SKAI TV. 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. "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.". Harry and Meghan reportedly losing their U.K. royal residence. 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. Gatopoulos reported from Athens. Copyright 2023 Deseret News Publishing Company. The cargo train it collided with wastravelling from Thessaloniki to the city ofLarissa. The government declared three days of national mourning, with flags flying at half-mast in a tribute to the victims of the crash. Costas Agorastos, the regional governor of the Thessaly area, told Greece's Skai Television the two trains crashed head on at high speed. Fire Service Officials said 32 people were killed and at least 85 were injured. Rescue crews illuminated the scene with floodlights before dawn on Wednesday as they searched frantically through the twisted, smoking wreckage for survivors. Passengers speaking to the BBC described hearing a big bang and escaping the fire that engulfed their train immediately after the collision. ", "The front section of the train was smashed. The head of emergency unit in Larissa hospital Apostolos Komnos said most of the victims were young people, in their 20s. What appeared to be the third carriage lay atop the clumped remains of the first two. Rail operator Hellenic Train expressed "its deep sorrow for the tragic accident" and said the passenger train had about 350 people on board. Derek Gatopoulos in Athens and Patrick Quinn and David Rising in Bangkok contributed to this story. Police took their names as they arrived, in an effort to track anyone who might be missing. Rail operator Hellenic Train said the northbound passenger train to Thessaloniki, Greece's second-largest city, had about 350 passengers on board. Officials said the army had been contacted to assist. I feel so sorry for the parents of these kids.. A passenger train collided with an oncoming freight train causing a fiery crash on Wednesday in northern Greece. A passenger train collided with an oncoming freight train in northern Greece early on Wednesday, killing multiple people and injuring scores of others. The possible cause of the collision was not immediately clear. "The trains were completely destroyed, both passenger and freight trains.". 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 train collided with a freight train in Greece just before midnight on Feb. 28, killing 29 and injuring at least 85 people, authorities say. Greek President Katerina Sakellaropolou said she would cut short a visit to Moldovato return to Greece following the collision. 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 train from Athens to Thessaloniki was carrying 350 passengers, many of them students returning from raucous Carnival celebrations. 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. ", "It was a nightmare. "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," he said. "This is a terrible tragedy that is hard to comprehend," said Deputy Health Minister Mina Gaga. "Unfortunately, I have to interrupt my visit in order to be close to my people, to support those who need it," she told a jointnews conference in Chisinau with Moldovan President Maia Sandu. 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. Smoke rose from trains as firefighters and rescuers tried to help out the victims after the accident. When something so tragic happens, it is not possible to carry on as if nothing happened. Watch Live: Closing arguments begin in double murder trial of Alex Murdaugh, Intel review says "very unlikely" foreign adversary behind "Havana Syndrome", Ex-Georgia star Jalen Carter was racing in deadly crash, arrest warrants allege, Watch Live: Garland testifies amid ongoing special counsel investigations, Fiery train crash in Greece kills dozens, many of them students. 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. The crash killed at least 36 people and injured at least 85 people. A passenger train collided with an oncoming freight train in northern Greece early on Wednesday, killing multiple people and injuring scores of others. 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. "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," fire brigade spokesperson Vassilis Vathrakogiannis told a news conference. 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. Nearly 30 people were killed and 85 people were injured after a freight and passenger train collided with each other in Greece. "We are living through a tragedy. While the cause of Tuesday's collision was not immediately clear, Greece's ageing railway system has long been in need of modernising, with many trains travelling on single tracks and signalling and automatic control systems yet to be installed in many areas. Rail operator Hellenic Train said the northbound passenger train from Athens to Thessaloniki, Greeces second-largest city, had about 350 passengers on board. Opinion: We are in a new cold war. He said it was a terrible night. 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. A passenger train travelling from Athens to the northern city of Thessaloniki collided with a freight train outside Larissa just before midnight. Multiple cars derailed and at least three burst into flames after the collision, which took place just before midnight near the Vale of Tempe, a gorge that separates the regions of Thessaly and Macedonia. A teenage survivor who did not give his name to reporters said that just before the crash he felt sudden braking and saw sparks and then there was a sudden stop. At least 32 people have died after a passenger train collided with an oncoming freight train in northern Greece early on Wednesday. The impact caused a fire in a number of the passenger carriages, burning many commuters who were rushed to hospitals. The trains crashed just before the Vale of Tempe, a gorge that separates the regions of Thessaly and Macedonia. 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. At least 32 people are reported to have been killed and dozens injured after two trains collided in Greece. "This is a terrible tragedy that is hard to comprehend," said Deputy Health Minister Mina Gaga. Web19th century 1830s. Subscribe to our channel for the latest updates on Russias war in Ukraine. Pic: AP, Aerials in daylight show extent of train crash in Greece. For 10, 15 seconds it was chaos, Stergios Minenis, 28, told the BBC. 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