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. He said dazed and disoriented people were escaping out of the train's rear carriages as he arrived. Footage from the crash site showed flames surrounding the derailed train cars, as well as the swirling lights of firetrucks and ambulances nearby. The impact caused a fire in a number of the passenger carriages, burning many commuters who were rushed to hospitals. Copyright 2023 The Washington Times, LLC. Audience Relations, CBC P.O. A passenger train collided with an oncoming freight train in northern Greece early on Wednesday, killing multiple people and injuring scores of others. He said windows shattered, showering riders with glass. Later in the year, a second accident resulted in ten injuries, with two of them ultimately dying. Passenger train from Athens collides head-on with freight train in Greece, killing 36 people. Five hours later, we are finding bodies, an exhausted rescuer said as he emerged from a carriage. A passenger train collided with an oncoming freight train causing a fiery crash on Wednesday in northern Greece. Ambulances from several nearby towns were called in to take injured passengers to hospitals, while rescue workers continued to work in the thick smoke. Sixty-six of the 85 injured people were hospitalised, with six of those in intensive care, a fire brigade official said. Greece's firefighting service said some 66 people were hospitalized, including six in intensive care. Multiple cars derailed and at least one burst into flames. Al Jazeera Centre for Public Liberties & Human Rights. The region's governor said the collision was so violent that the first two carriages of the passenger train "no longer exist". Survivors said several passengers were thrown through the windows of the train cars due to the impact. The government declared three days of national mourning from Wednesday, while flags flew at half-staff outside all European Commission buildings in Brussels. Fire Service Officials said 32 people were killed and at least 85 were injured. The crash killed at least 26 people and injured at least 85 people. Survivors said several passengers were thrown through the windows of the train cars due to the impact. Sources: Hellenic Fire Service, Geodata.gov.gr. The collision between a freight train and an oncoming passenger train occurred near Tempe early on Wednesday. "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. "Carriage one and two no longer exist, and the third has derailed," he said. Many of the approximately 350 people aboard the passenger train were students returning from Greeces raucous Carnival, officials said. Greek President Katerina Sakellaropoulou said she was cutting short a visit to Moldova to return to Greece. 2023 CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved. "It's hard to describe the scene. The collision was like a huge earthquake.". The cause remains unknown. People, naturally, were scared very scared, he said. 1833 Hightstown rail accident, Hightstown, New Jersey; 2 killed plus 15 injured.Earliest recorded train accident involving the death of passengers. Rail operator Hellenic Train expressed "its deep sorrow for the tragic accident" and said the passenger train had about 350 people on board. What appeared to be the third carriage lay atop the clumped remains of the first two. (AP) The incident took place in Tempe, near the north of Athens. In the morning, cranes were lifting derailed carriages, as rescuers scoured through the wreckage. 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. 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. Greeces firefighting service said some 66 people were hospitalized, including six in intensive care. 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. The trains crashed just before the Vale of Tempe, a gorge that separates the regions of Thessaly and Macedonia. Greek transport minister resigns after deadly crash between passenger train and freight train | CBC News Loaded. They said others fought to free themselves after the passenger train buckled, slamming into a field next to the tracks. He said dazed and disoriented people were escaping out of the train's rear cars as he arrived. 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. 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. Smoke rises from trains as firefighters and rescuers operate after a collision near Tempe, in northern Greece, early on March 1, 2023. A passenger train travelling from Athens to the northern city of Thessaloniki collided with a freight train outside Larissa just before midnight. Others scoured the field with flashlights and checked underneath the wreckage. 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. Smoke rose from trains as firefighters and rescuers tried to help out the victims after the accident. Is it more dangerous than the old one? Officials said many of the passengers on board the Athens to Thessaloniki train had been university students returning home after celebrating Carnival over the long weekend. Lawsuits claim it wrecked their teeth. We are pulling out people alive, injured there are dead. I'm still shaking," a22-year-old passenger named Angelos told AFP. "The trains were completely destroyed, both passenger and freight trains.". 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. A passenger train travelling from Athens to the northern city of Thessaloniki collided with a freight train outside Larissa just before midnight. 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Theres debris flung all around the crash site.. My head hit the roof of the carriage with the jolt," Stefanos Gogakos, who was in a rear car, told state broadcaster ERT. A passenger train collided with an oncoming freight train in northern Greece early Wednesday morning. We found a hole and from there we managed to get out. Greece's federal transport minister said he had submitted his resignation in the wake of the tragedy, calling it "the least he could do to honor the memory of the victims" as he spoke on live television. The wagon started to spin and then it ended up on its side and we got out. Survivors said the impact threw several passengers through the windows of train cars. The government declared three days of national mourning, with flags flying at half-mast in a tribute to the victims of the crash. Hospital officials in the nearby city of Larissa said at least 25 people had serious injuries. Kasulis Cho reported from Seoul, Francis from London and Parker from Washington. The collision between freight and passenger trains occurred some 235 miles north of Athens and left several cars derailed. Survivors said several passengers were thrown through the windows of the train cars due to the impact. 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. 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 passenger train collided with an oncoming freight train in northern Greece early Wednesday morning. 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. Hospital units used to treat burn victims in the area were alerted and dozens of ambulances dispatched to the scene. "We are pulling out people alive, injured there are dead. The government declared three days of national mourning until Friday, with flags flying at half-mast in a tribute to the victims. "This is an indescribable tragedy," said government spokesman Giannis Oikonomou. Tumbling over, fires, cables hanging, broken windows, people screaming, people trapped.. Meanwhile, Greek President Katerina Sakellaropoulou said she was cutting short a visit to Moldova to return to Greece. All Rights Reserved, Stationmaster arrested in connection to Greece train crash that killed at least 36. We are living through a tragedy. Train crash, derailment in Greece injures at least 60 in fires, ruins. Nearly 30 people were killed and 85 people were injured after a freight and passenger train collided with each other in Greece. The Associated Press contributed to this report. 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. She told me were on fire. 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. ", "It was a nightmare. Carriage one and two no longer exist, and the third has derailed, he said. Associated Press reported reported that 350 passengers were on board the passenger train that was heading northbound from Athens to 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. Sixty-six of those injured were hospitalised, six of whom in intensive care, the official said. I wasnt hurt but I was stained with blood from other people who were hurt near me, he said. Authorities set up a hotline for relatives of passengers seeking information on family members. Police said the 59-year-old stationmaster in Larissa was arrested, and a further two people detained for questioning. "We are living through a tragedy. Police temporarily detained the station master in Larissa and at least three witnesses have been questioned, including a representative for Hellenic Train, a police official said. Local media said the train left Athens around 7.30 pm local time on Tuesday. Closed Captioning and Described Video is available for many CBC shows offered on CBC Gem. The death toll was expected to rise further, a fire brigade official said. There was a fire in the first cars and complete panic. "They were travelling at great speed and one (driver) didn't know the other was coming," he said. 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. A teenage survivor who did not give his name told Greek reporters as he got off one of the buses that just before the crash, he felt a strong braking and saw sparks and then there was a sudden stop. "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 Vassilis Varthakoyiannis, a spokesperson for Greece's firefighting service. Around 350 passengers were on board the passenger train that was heading northbound from Athens to Thessaloniki, both of which are popular with tourists. 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.. "Temperatures were particularly high, reaching even 1,300 degrees Celsius (about 2,700 Fahrenheit)," Varthakogiannis told journalists. ATHENS A passenger train and a freight train collided late Tuesday in central Greece, killing at least 36 people and leading to the arrest of a station master and the resignation of a government minister. Rescuers wearing head lamps worked in thick smoke, pulling pieces of mangled metal from the cars to search for trapped people. "The trains were completely destroyed, both passenger and freight trains.". Our carriage didnt derail, but the ones in front did and were smashed, he said, visibly shaken. This story will be updated as more information develops. Costas Agorastos, the regional governor of the Thessaly area, told Greece's Skai Television the two trains collided head on at high speed. "Fortunately we were in the penultimate car and we got out alive. 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. Dozens hurt in fiery train crash, derailment in Greece. "There's debris flung all over the crash site.". 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. 1837 Seaboard and Roanoke Railroad collision, Suffolk, Virginia; 3 killed plus dozens injured. Greece's ageing railway system is in need of modernising, with many trains travelling on single tracks and signalling and automatic control systems still to be installed in many areas. The collision occurred as the passenger train emerged from a tunnel near the Vale of Tempe, a gorge that separates the regions of Thessaly and Macedonia. Another woman, who was waiting there, said her child was not picking up the phone. Others fought to free themselves after the passenger train buckled and slammedinto a field next to the tracks, some being burnt in the process. First published on February 28, 2023 / 9:00 PM. Web19th century 1830s. On Wednesday, the government declared three days of national mourning. More than 200 people who were unharmed or suffered minor injuries were taken by bus to Thessaloniki, 130 kilometers (80 miles) to the north. Of passengers seeking information on family members, Hightstown, New Jersey 2. Violent that the first cars and complete panic as more information develops to be the third derailed! Spokesman Giannis Oikonomou to return to Greece train crash that killed at least people. 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