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. Rescuers wearing head lamps worked in thick smoke, pulling pieces of mangled metal from the cars to search for trapped people. "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 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. Two rail officials were being questioned by police but had not been detained. The passenger train was en route from Athens to Thessaloniki with 342 passengers and a crew of 10. A picture taken with a drone shows firefighters and rescue crews working to extricate passengers from trains after a collision near Larissa city, Greece. We found a hole and from there we managed to get out. "They were looking around, searching; they didn't know where they were. "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. 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. The collision was like a huge earthquake.". 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. A passenger train travelling from Athens to the northern city of Thessaloniki collided with a freight train outside Larissa just before midnight. Emergency services from nearby towns were deployed to help with rescue efforts. By 8:30 a.m., at least a dozen people, including rescue workers in uniform, continued to search through rubble at the base of an overturned blue passenger car that remained in an field, according to Reuters footage. Greece had the highest overall railway fatality rate among 29 countries studied in a 2022 safety report by the European Union Agency for Railways, as well as the seventh-highest passenger fatality rate. The cause of the collision is not yet known and is being investigated. Stergios Minenis, a 28-year-old passenger who jumped to safety from the wreckage, said: "We heard a big bang. A passenger train travelling from Athens to the northern city of Thessaloniki collided with a freight train outside Larissa just before midnight. 24/7 coverage of breaking news and live events. 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. Credit:AP. "I feel so sorry for the parents of these kids.". 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. Updated on: March 1, 2023 / 9:20 AM He said it was a terrible night. 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. Box 500 Station A Toronto, ON Canada, M5W 1E6. 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. A passenger train collided with an oncoming freight train in northern Greece early on Wednesday, killing multiple people and injuring scores of others. Officials said many of the passengers on the Athens to Thessaloniki train were university students returning home after celebrating Carnival over the long weekend. Others fought to free themselves after the passenger train buckled and slammedinto a field next to the tracks, some being burnt in the process. A passenger train collided with an oncoming freight train in northern Greece early on Wednesday, killing multiple people and injuring scores of others. 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. Were getting cranes to come in and special lifting equipment clear the debris and lift the rail cars. 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. Two carriages of train in 'nightmare' crash 'no longer exist' - follow live updates. At least 32 people are reported to have been killed and dozens injured after two trains collided in Greece. The fire brigade said it was informed of the accident shortly before midnight. Another woman, who was waiting there, said her child was not picking up the phone. There's debris flung all around the crash site.". 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. Train crash, derailment in Greece injures at least 60 in fires, ruins. Smokes were seen from where the accident took place. Our carriage didnt derail, but the ones in front did and were smashed, he said, visibly shaken. Many of the passengers would have been returning home after a long holiday weekend marking the beginning of Greek Orthodox lent. Police took their names as they arrived, in an effort to track anyone who may be missing. They were looking around, searching; they didnt know where they were.. We are living through a tragedy. Terms of Use / Privacy Policy / Manage Newsletters, - Harry and Meghan reportedly losing their U.K. royal residence. 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. Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis office announced a three-day national mourning period. 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 on Wednesday, killing multiple people and injuring scores of others. The crash killed at least 36 people and injured at least 85 people. Greek President Katerina Sakellaropoulou broke off an official visit to Moldova to visit the scene, laying flowers beside the wreckage. Authorities arrested the stationmaster at the trains last stop, in the city of Larissa. - 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. TEMPE, Greece (AP) A head-on collision between a passenger train and a freight train flattened carriages, killed at least 36 people and injured some 85, Greek officials said Wednesday. The government announced three days of national mourning. 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. Many of the victims were thought to be university students. Carriage one and two no longer exist, and the third has derailed, he said. Multiple cars derailed and at least one burst into flames. More than 15 others were discharged after receiving initial treatment. "Our carriage didn't derail, but the ones in front did and were smashed," he said, visibly shaken. 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," fire brigade spokesperson Vassilis Vathrakogiannis told a news conference. PASSENGERS SAY TRAIN CRASH WAS LIKE AN EXPLOSION. The government declared three days of national mourning, with flags flying at half-mast in a tribute to the victims. 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. Copyright 2023 CBS Interactive Inc. All rights reserved. "Carriage one and two no longer exist, and the third has derailed," he said. For the most part, we are mourning young people. For 10, 15 seconds it was chaos, Stergios Minenis, 28, told the BBC. More than 200 people who were unharmed in the crash or suffered minor injuries were transported by bus to Thessaloniki, 130 kilometresto the north. 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. Another passenger car appeared to be mangled as a crane slowly began lifting it. Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis was to visit the scene later in the day. Several of the dead are believed to have been found in the restaurant area near the front of the passenger train. Hellenic Train, which added high-speed rail services in recent years,isoperated byItaly'sFS Group,which runs rail services in several European countries. The collision between a freight train and an oncoming passenger train occurred near Tempe early on Wednesday. Greeces firefighting service said 57 people remained hospitalized late Wednesday, including six in intensive care. Five hours later, we are finding bodies.". The collision between a freight train and an oncoming passenger train occurred near Tempe early on Wednesday. We are pulling out people alive, injuredthere are dead. Its very difficult what we are going through today as a country, he told reporters. The pontiff sends the assurance of his prayers to everyone affected by this tragedy, the message said. Our country is experiencing an unspeakable tragedy, and we are all facing the huge question of why, he told journalists there, according to Kathimerini. "Fortunately we were in the penultimate car and we got out alive. Police took their names as they arrived, in an effort to track anyone who may be missing. Essential reporting and analysis from correspondents around the world. The Associated Press contributed to this report. Greeces firefighting service said some 66 people were hospitalized, including six in intensive care. Nearly 30 people were killed and 85 people were injured after a freight and passenger train collided with each other in Greece. Associated Press reported reported that 350 passengers were on board the passenger train that was heading northbound from Athens to Costas Agorastos, the regional governor of the Thessaly area, told Greece's Skai Television the two trains crashed head on at high speed. The cause of the collision was not immediately clear. Many of the approximately 350 people aboard the passenger train were students returning from Greeces raucous Carnival, officials said. 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. He said windows shattered, showering riders with glass. The passenger train was carrying 342 travellers and 10 crew, while two crew were on the cargo train, according to Hellenic Train data. ', CBC's Journalistic Standards and Practices. Now it's set for an overhaul. A passenger who escaped from the fifth carriage told the television network: "Windows were being smashed and people were screaming". Most (of the bodies) are young people, she told ERT. Karamanlis had pledged to investigate the cause of the incident. They said others fought to free themselves after the passenger train buckled, slamming into a field next to the tracks. Visiting the accident scene, Prime Minister Mitsotakis said the government must help the injured recover and identify the dead. 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. Passengers who received minor injuries or were unharmed were transported by bus to Thessaloniki, 130km to the north. "There's debris flung all over the crash site.". 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