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. On Wednesday, rescuers turned to cranes and other heavy machinery to start moving large pieces of the trains, revealing more bodies and dismembered remains. This story will be updated as more information develops. 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. 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. The crash killed at least 26 people and injured at least 85 people. A passenger train travelling from Athens to the northern city of Thessaloniki collided with a freight train outside Larissa just before midnight. 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. Emergency workers found several bodies dozens of meters (feet) away from the cars, ERT reported. "I feel so sorry for the parents of these kids.". 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. 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. Greek Transport Minister Kostas Karamanlis has since submitted his resignation over the incident. 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 16 people have been killed and dozens injured after a head-on collision between a passenger and cargo train in Greece. Many of the victims were thought to be university students. "They were looking around, searching; they didn't know where they were.". Regional governor of Thessaly, Kostas Agorastos, said 250 survivors had been evacuated to Thessaloniki on buses. We heard a big bang, [it was] 10 nightmarish seconds, said Stergios Minenis, a 28-year-old passenger who jumped to safety from the wreckage. The trains crashed just before the Vale of Tempe, a gorge that separates the regions of Thessaly and Macedonia. 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. Sources: Hellenic Fire Service, Geodata.gov.gr. "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. "It was a nightmarish 10 seconds, in the flames. There was panic in the carriage, people were screaming, a young man who was evacuated under a nearby bridge told SKAI TV. "There was panic in the carriage, people were screaming," another young man told SKAI TV. Is it more dangerous than the old one? Terms of Use / Privacy Policy / Manage Newsletters, - We are talking about an unspeakable tragedy. 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. Many of the approximately 350 people aboard the passenger train were students returning from Greeces raucous Carnival, officials said. We are going to be here all night until we finish;until we find the last person.". 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. 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. Smoke rises from trains as firefighters and rescuers operate after a collision near Tempe, in northern Greece, early on March 1, 2023. At least 32 people have died after a passenger train collided with an oncoming freight train in northern Greece early on Wednesday. At least 29 people are dead and 85 injured after a commercial train and a passenger train collided and derailed in Greece on Tuesday. "We heard a big bang, [it was] 10 nightmarish seconds," said Stergios Minenis, a 28-year-old passenger who jumped to safety from the wreckage. Some were scouring the surrounding fields for survivors. "We are living through a tragedy. Visiting the accident scene, Prime Minister Mitsotakis said the government must help the injured recover and identify the dead. 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. A passenger train carrying hundreds of people collided at high speed with an oncoming freight train in central Greece late on Tuesday night, killing 36 peopleand injuring at least 85. Turn on desktop notifications for breaking stories about interest? 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. Survivors said several passengers were thrown through the windows of the train cars due to the impact. 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. 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. 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. Most (of the bodies) are young people, she told ERT. Gatopoulos reported from Athens. He said dazed and disoriented people were escaping out of the train's rear carriages as he arrived. Others scoured the field with flashlights and checked underneath the wreckage. "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. 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. We acknowledge Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as the First Australians and Traditional Custodians of the lands where we live, learn, and work. The collision between a freight train and an oncoming passenger train occurred near Tempe early on Wednesday. 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. They are in very bad condition. After sunrise, rescuers turned to heavy machinery to start moving large pieces of the trains. There was panic in the carriage, people were screaming, a young man who was evacuated to a nearby bridge told SKAI TV. (AP) The incident took place in Tempe, near the north of Athens. 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. A passenger train collided with an oncoming freight train causing a fiery crash on Wednesday in northern Greece. "There were many big pieces of steel," said Vassilis Polyzos, a local resident who was one of the first people on the scene. 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. Dozens hurt in fiery train crash, derailment in Greece. 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.. Harry and Meghan reportedly losing their U.K. royal residence. Survivors said some passengers were thrown from the train car windows on impact. Many of the passengers would have been returning home after a long holiday weekend marking the beginning of Greek Orthodox lent. The collision was so violent that the first two carriages of the passenger train "no longer exist", he told Skai television. Several of the dead are believed to have been found in the restaurant area near the front of the passenger train. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. Karamanlis said the Greek railway system was not up to 21st-century standards when he took office. ", Vassilis Polyzos, a local resident who said he was one of the first people on the scene, said both trains were completely destroyed.. March 1, 2023 11.14am. "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. Its tragic. First and foremost, our thoughts today are with the relatives of the victims. 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. "I feel so sorry for the parents of these kids.". 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. Fire service officials said 36 people were killed and at least 85 were injured. "We heard a big bang, [it was] 10 nightmarish seconds," said Stergios Minenis, a 28-year-old passenger who jumped to safety from the wreckage. "People, naturally, were scared very scared," he said. He said dazed and disoriented people were escaping out of the trains rear cars as he arrived. One passenger told state broadcaster ERT: "There was fire next to us. Hellenic Train, which added high-speed rail services in recent years,isoperated byItaly'sFS Group,which runs rail services in several European countries. He said dazed and disoriented people were escaping out of the train's rear cars as he arrived. Government officials said the army has been asked to help with the rescue. Rescuers wearing head lamps worked in thick smoke, pulling pieces of mangled metal from the cars to search for trapped people. Copyright 2023 Deseret News Publishing Company. This is a terrifying process for parents and relatives who are here. The collision between freight and passenger trains occurred some 235 miles north of Athens and left several cars derailed. 1833 Hightstown rail accident, Hightstown, New Jersey; 2 killed plus 15 injured.Earliest recorded train accident involving the death of passengers. The train from Athens to Thessaloniki was carrying 350 passengers, many of them students returning from raucous Carnival celebrations. 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.. 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. The festivities had been canceled the previous three years because of the coronavirus pandemic. "It was like an earthquake," Angelos Tsiamouras, another passenger, told state broadcaster ERT. Workers also were seen on live broadcasts moving a body on a stretcher into an ambulance. 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. Broadcaster SKAI showed footage of derailed carriages, thick plumes of smoke, badly damaged broken windows, and debris strewn across the road. 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. It will take a long time, said Sarianidis. 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. Around 350 passengers were on board the passenger train that was heading northbound from Athens to Thessaloniki, both of which are popular with tourists. Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis was to visit the scene later in the day. Smoke rises from trains as firefighters and rescuers operate after a collision near Larissa city, Greece, early on Wednesday. "They were looking around, searching; they didn't know where they were. The fire was immediate, as we were turning over we were being burned, fire was right and left.". The passenger train was en route from Athens to Thessaloniki with 342 passengers and a crew of 10. Al Jazeera Centre for Public Liberties & Human Rights. This is his story of survival. Passengers who received minor injuries or were unharmed were transported by bus to Thessaloniki, 80 miles to the north. People, naturally, were scared very scared, he said. Rescue crews illuminated the scene with floodlights before dawn Wednesday as they searched frantically through the twisted, smoking wreckage for survivors. 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. Police said the 59-year-old stationmaster in Larissa was arrested, and a further two people detained for questioning. Greek President Katerina Sakellaropoulou said she was cutting short a visit to Moldova to return to Greece. Hellenic Train is operated by Italys FS Group, which runs rail services in several European countries. Audience Relations, CBC P.O. Why, with todays technology that has existed for many years, should so many lives hang on a human hand?. An emergency government meeting was organised after the crash and Greek health minister Thanos Plevris went to the scene. My hair is burning, he told ERT, without giving his name. 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