Wed Mar 1 2023 - 06:16. Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis called the collision of the passenger train and a freight train a horrific rail accident without precedent in our country, and pledged a full, independent investigation. Gatopoulos reported from Athens. Fire brigade spokesperson Vassilis Varthakogiannis said the evacuation of passengers took place in very "difficult conditions given the severity of the collision of the two trains". A teenage survivor who didn't 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. 24/7 coverage of breaking news and live events. Associated Press reported reported that 350 passengers were on board the passenger train that was heading northbound from Athens to I also wish for a speedy recovery for all the injured.. Another woman, who was waiting there, said her child was not picking up the phone. Greece's firefighting service said some 66 people were hospitalized, including six in intensive care. Several of the dead are believed to have been found in the restaurant area near the front of the passenger train. One survivor said there was panic among passengers, and fires that burned 'right and left. "This is a terrible tragedy that is hard to comprehend," said deputy health minister Mina Gaga. He said it appears the crash was "mainly due to a tragic human error.. The trains were completely destroyed, both passenger and freight trains.. We are facing an unimaginable tragedy, Sakellaropoulou said in a statement posted to her offices website. There was a fire in the first cars and complete panic. Railway safety in Greece has come under scrutiny in recent years, and the accident late Tuesday is the countrys deadliest, according to local media. Many were evacuated to Thessaloniki, where one woman ran to embrace her daughter as she disembarked from a bus with other survivors. 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. 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. 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. Emergency services from nearby towns were deployed to help with rescue efforts. "It's tragic. We are pulling out people alive, injuredthere are dead. 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. 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. Rescuers wearing head lamps worked in thick smoke, pulling pieces of mangled metal from the cars to search for trapped people. Officials said the army had been contacted to assist. Space to play or pause, M to mute, left and right arrows to seek, up and down arrows for volume. They were travelling at great speed and one (driver) didnt know the other was coming, he added. A passenger train travelling from Athens to the northern city of Thessaloniki collided with a freight train outside Larissa just before midnight. 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. Greeces firefighting service said 57 people remained hospitalized late Wednesday, including six in intensive care. What appeared to be the third carriage lay atop the clumped remains of the first two. 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. 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. We're getting cranes to come in and special lifting equipment clear the debris and lift the rail cars. An intercity passenger train collided at high speed with a cargo train outside the city of Larissa. Our carriage didnt derail, but the ones in front did and were smashed, he said, visibly shaken. Hellenic Train is operated by Italys FS Group, which runs rail services in several European countries. The government declared three days of national mourning until Friday, with flags flying at half-mast in a tribute to the victims. ', CBC's Journalistic Standards and Practices. 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. 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. Another two people were detained for questioning. The collision between freight and passenger trains occurred some 235 miles north of Athens and left several cars derailed. About 250 passengers who received minor injuries or were unharmed weretaken safely to Thessaloniki on busesearly on Wednesday morning. "I've never seen anything like this in my entire life," AFP quoted one rescue worker as saying as he emerged from the wreckage. The collision between a freight train and an oncoming passenger train occurred near Tempe early on Wednesday. ", 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. 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. Footage from the crash site showed flames surrounding the derailed train cars, as well as the swirling lights of firetrucks and ambulances nearby. Some of the passenger carriages exploded in flames from the impact. "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. He said that the first car caught fire and that he used a bag to break the window of his car, the fourth, and escape. Police said several carriages came off the rails, with at least three of them catching fire. We are pulling out people alive, injuredthere are dead," he said. A passenger who escaped from the fifth carriage told the television network: "Windows were being smashed and people were screaming". 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. The collision between a freight train and an oncoming passenger train occurred near Tempe early on Wednesday. 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. TEMPE, Greece -- Rescuers searched for survivors Wednesday in the mangled, burned-out wreckage of two trains that slammed into each other in northern Greece, killing at least 43 people and crumpling carriages into twisted steel knots in the country's worst-ever rail crash. 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 1968 train collision in the ancient coastal city of Corinth killed at least 34 people and injured dozens. A passenger train collided with an oncoming freight train in northern Greece early Wednesday morning. There was panic in the carriage, you couldn't see around you because of the smoke.". Smoke rose from trains as firefighters and rescuers tried to help out the victims after the accident. 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. We acknowledge Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as the First Australians and Traditional Custodians of the lands where we live, learn, and work. "They were travelling at great speed and one (driver) didn't know the other was coming," he said. Audience Relations, CBC P.O. I wasnt hurt but I was stained with blood from other people who were hurt near me, he said. 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. Turn on desktop notifications for breaking stories about interest? 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. "They were looking around, searching; they didn't know where they were. Lawsuits claim it wrecked their teeth. Pope Francis offered his condolences to the families of the dead, in a message sent to the president of the Greek bishops conference on his behalf by the Vaticans secretary of state. "The trains were completely destroyed, both passenger and freight trains.". 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. This is a terrible tragedy that is hard to comprehend, said Deputy Health Minister Mina Gaga. Thessaloniki has a large student population. AFP cited Greek emergency services as saying roughly 150 firefighters and 40 ambulances had responded. There were many big pieces of steel, he said. Many of those aboard the passenger train were students returning from Greece's raucous Carnival, officials said. "Carriage one and two no longer exist, and the third has derailed," he said. 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. Its very difficult what we are going through today as a country, he told reporters. "There was panic in the carriage, people were screaming," another young man told SKAI TV. Thessaly regional governor Konstantinos Agorastos saidthe two trains hurtled towards each other on the same track. ", "It was a nightmare. "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.". Survivors said several passengers were thrown through the windows of the train cars due to the impact. Source: Getty / Anadolu Agency, Murat whistled until he was found under rubble in Trkiye. Police took their names as they arrived, in an effort to track anyone who might be missing. A passenger train travelling from Athens to the northern city of Thessaloniki collided with a freight train outside Larissa just before midnight. Essential reporting and analysis from correspondents around the world. "I feel so sorry for the parents of these kids.". "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. A passenger train collided with an oncoming freight train in northern Greece early Wednesday morning. 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. A train carrying hundreds of passengers collided with an oncoming freight train in northern Greece, killing and injuring dozens passengers. 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. Kostas Karamanlis, Greeces transport minister, resigned after visiting the site of the crash, sayinghe felt it was his duty to step down. The Greek army has been called in to assist in the rescue effort. The impact caused a fire in a number of the passenger carriages, burning many commuters who were rushed to hospitals. "There was panic the fire was immediate, as we were turning over we were being burned, fire was right and left. The cause of the collision is not yet known and is being investigated. Smoke rises from trains as firefighters and rescuers operate after a collision near Tempe, in northern Greece, early on March 1, 2023. 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. Eight rail employees were among those killed in the crash, 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. Are you on Telegram? The cause remains unknown. 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. In these 3.5 years, we have made every effort to improve this reality, he said as he announced his resignation. A passenger train collided with an oncoming freight train causing a fiery crash on Wednesday in northern Greece. Search and rescue efforts continue through thick smoke, per AP. 1837 Seaboard and Roanoke Railroad collision, Suffolk, Virginia; 3 killed plus dozens injured. The region's governor said the collision was so violent that the first two carriages of the passenger train "no longer exist". Residents of Larissa lined up to donate blood. 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.. "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. Unfortunately, our efforts have not been sufficient to prevent such a bad incident. "Our carriage didn't derail, but the ones in front did and were smashed," he said, visibly shaken. By subscribing, you agree to SBSs terms of service and privacy policy including receiving email updates from SBS. The crash killed at least 26 people and injured at least 85 people. The whole of Europe is mourning with you, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said in a tweet Wednesday. He said windows shattered, showering riders with glass. "People, naturally, were scared very scared," he said. For 10, 15 seconds it was chaos, Stergios Minenis, 28, told the BBC. March 1, 2023 11.14am. Rescuers turned to heavy machinery to start moving large pieces of wreckage, revealing more bodies and dismembered remains. She told me were on fire. I'm still shaking," a22-year-old passenger named Angelos told AFP. Smoke rose from trains as firefighters and rescuers tried to help out the victims after the accident. On Wednesday, rescuers turned to cranes and other heavy machinery to start moving large pieces of the trains, revealing more bodies and dismembered remains. Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis office announced a three-day national mourning period. "There's debris flung all over the crash site.". 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. The passenger train was traveling from the capital, Athens, to Thessaloniki, Greeces second-largest city, when it and the cargo train collided. 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. Many of the passengers were young, said Apostolos Komnos, the head of the intensive care unit at the General Hospital of Larissa. 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. Gogakos said the crash felt like an explosion, and some smoke entered the carriage. "I feel so sorry for the parents of these kids.". Paphitis reported from Athens, Greece. Karamanlis said the Greek railway system was not up to 21st-century standards when he took office. "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. Survivors said several passengers were thrown through the windows of the train cars due to the impact. This is called political responsibility.. "They were looking around, searching; they didn't know where they were.". 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. After sunrise, they turned to heavy machinery that had been brought in to start moving large pieces of the trains. Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis was to visit the scene later in the day. We are pulling out people alive, injured there are dead.". Why, with todays technology that has existed for many years, should so many lives hang on a human hand?. Meanwhile, Greek President Katerina Sakellaropoulou said she was cutting short a visit to Moldova to return to Greece. Rail operator Hellenic Train said the northbound passenger train to Thessaloniki, Greece's second-largest city, had about 350 passengers on board. Web19th century 1830s. Rail operator Hellenic Train said the northbound passenger train from Athens to Thessaloniki, Greeces second-largest city, had about 350 passengers on board. 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. 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