Multiple cars derailed and at least three burst into flames after the two trains ran into each other at high speed just before midnight Tuesday, near the town of Tempe in northern Greece. 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. Footage showed rescuers wearing head lamps surrounded by thick smoke, pulling pieces of mangled metal from the carriages to search for trapped people. When something so tragic happens, it is not possible to carry on as if nothing happened. Transport Minister Kostas Karamanlis resigned in the wake of the crash, saying he felt it was his "duty" to step down "as a basic indication of respect for the memory of the people who died so unfairly.". 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. 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. 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. 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. Wed Mar 1 2023 - 06:16. Greek government spokesman Yiannis Economou said earlier that the two trains had been running in opposite directions on the same track for "several kilometers.". Police in the nearby city of Larissa said they had arrested a 59-year-old station master, who has been charged with causing mass deaths through negligence and causing grievous bodily harm through negligence. By midafternoon, Transportation Minister Kostas Karamanlis had resigned. Passengers who received minor injuries or were unharmed were transported by bus to Thessaloniki, 130km to the north. Wed Mar 1 2023 - 06:16. Greek President Katerina Sakellaropoulou said she was cutting short a visit to Moldova to return to Greece. Fire service officials said 36 people were killed and at least 85 were injured. Sources: Hellenic Fire Service, Geodata.gov.gr. My hair is burning, he told ERT, without giving his name. The festivities had been canceled the previous three years because of the coronavirus pandemic. 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. We acknowledge Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as the First Australians and Traditional Custodians of the lands where we live, learn, and work. Others scoured the field with flashlights and checked underneath the wreckage. Agorastos described the collision on state television as "very powerful" and said it was "a terrible night. Kostas Karamanlis, Greeces transport minister, resigned after visiting the site of the crash, sayinghe felt it was his duty to step down. Local media said the train left Athens around 7.30 pm local time on Tuesday. After sunrise, they turned to heavy machinery that had been brought in to start moving large pieces of the trains. Hellenic Train is operated by Italys FS Group, which runs rail services in several European countries. FDA panel recommends first RSV vaccine for adults 60 and older, Biden touts plan to raise taxes on the rich, but its unclear he has support in the House, Eli Lilly announces out-of-pocket cap on insulin at $35 a month, Why are eggs so expensive? "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 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. In the morning, cranes were lifting derailed carriages, as rescuers scoured through the wreckage. According to the Italian company's website, it is the main provider of rail transport for passengers and freight in Greece and runs 342 passenger and commercial routes a day. 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. Web19th century 1830s. Later in the year, a second accident resulted in ten injuries, with two of them ultimately dying. Rescue crews illuminated the scene with floodlights in the hours before dawn on Wednesday as they searched through the twisted, smoking wreckage for survivors. The impact caused a fire in a number of the passenger carriages, burning many commuters who were rushed to hospitals. 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. Dozens hurt in fiery train crash, derailment in Greece. 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. 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. "Carriage one and two no longer exist, and the third has derailed," he said. 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. ", "The front section of the train was smashed. TikTok announced it was banning dangerous tanning content so why didn't it. 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. 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. He said dazed and disoriented people were escaping out of the train's rear cars as he arrived. There was a fire in the first cars and complete panic. Greek Transport Minister Kostas Karamanlis has since submitted his resignation over the incident. 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. We will help them as much as we can, he said. "We are pulling out people alive, injured there are dead. Another two people have been detained for questioning. Closed Captioning and Described Video is available for many CBC shows offered on CBC Gem. This is a terrible tragedy that is hard to comprehend, said Deputy Health Minister Mina Gaga. Survivors said several passengers were thrown through the windows of the train cars due to the impact. Visiting the accident scene, Prime Minister Mitsotakis said the government must help the injured recover and identify the dead. We just heard a bang the (train) car started spinning, before ending up sideways when we managed to exit, one passenger told Greek public broadcaster ERT, per CNN. Several of the dead are believed to have been found in the restaurant area near the front of the passenger train. 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. At least 32 people have been killed and 85 others injured in a train collision in central Greece. Police took their names as they arrived, in an effort to track anyone who may be missing. Tempe, Greece: A passenger train carrying hundreds of people collided at high speed with an oncoming freight train in a fiery wreck in northern Greece early on Wednesday, killing 32 people and injuring at least 85, officials said. The passenger train was en route from Athens to Thessaloniki with 342 passengers and a crew of 10. 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. Passengers who received minor injuries or were unharmed were transported by bus to Thessaloniki, 80 miles to the north. I feel so sorry for the parents of these kids.. I consider it a necessary element of our democracy that the citizens of our country trust the political system. Why, with todays technology that has existed for many years, should so many lives hang on a human hand?. He said dazed and disoriented people were escaping out of the train's rear cars as he arrived. Were getting cranes to come in and special lifting equipment clear the debris and lift the rail cars. More than 15 others were discharged after receiving initial treatment. 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. "They were looking around, searching; they didn't know where they were.". Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. Space to play or pause, M to mute, left and right arrows to seek, up and down arrows for volume. ", A passenger who escaped from the fifth carriage told Skai TV: "Windows were being smashed and people were screaming One of the windows caved in from the impact of iron from the other train.". Train collision in Greece kills at least 36; station master arrested. Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis office announced a three-day national mourning period. 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. Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis was to visit the scene later in the day. The trains were completely destroyed, both passenger and freight trains.. Greeces firefighting service said some 66 people were hospitalized, including six in intensive care. March 1, 2023 11.14am. At least 32 people have been killed and 85 others injured in a train collision in central Greece. The collision between a freight train and an oncoming passenger train occurred near Tempe early on Wednesday. Fire Service Officials said 32 people were killed and at least 85 were injured. Associated Press reported reported that 350 passengers were on board the passenger train that was heading northbound from Athens to "They were travelling at great speed and one (driver) didn't know the other was coming," he said. 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