The collision between a freight and passenger train in Greece stoked a blaze with people trapped inside overturned cars
Smoke rises from trains as firefighters and rescuers operate after a collision near Larissa city, Greece, March 1, 2023 © AP / Vaggelis Kousioras
At least 100 people have been injured and killed following a head-on collision between two trains in northeastern Greece. Some 350 passengers were on board one of the trains at the time of the crash, with rescuers pulling many survivors from the wreckage.
The crash took place shortly after midnight on Wednesday near Tempe, located close to Greece’s eastern coast and some 144 miles (233 kilometers) north of the capital city of Athens.
A representative of the Greek fire service, Vassilis Vathrakogiannis, confirmed 16 fatalities, in addition to the 85 wounded. Around 20 of those injured are said to be in “serious condition” after the accident, according to state-run broadcaster ERT News, which noted that several train cars were derailed in the collision.
“It was a very powerful collision. This is a terrible night… It’s hard to describe the scene,” Costas Agorastos, the regional governor of Greece’s Thessaly region, told state media, adding that around 250 survivors had been evacuated to Thessaloniki on buses.
At least 15 people are said to have died, dozens left injured after 2 trains collidedWitnesses in the aftermath of the crash near Tempe in Greece 🇬🇷 shortly after midnight on Wednesday described an intense fire on one of the carriages, with a large emergency response underway https://t.co/awJtLviS88pic.twitter.com/i2YgdRznjz
— Saad Abedine (@SaadAbedine) March 1, 2023
Passengers reached by local media described the moment of the crash, saying they felt a “strong jolt” before the train lost power, forcing panicked travelers to smash windows in order to flee overturned railcars.
📹 | Passenger train with around 400 passengers collides with cargo train in #Greece's Larissa.pic.twitter.com/IGXDhnpsZT
— EHA News (@eha_news) March 1, 2023
Thirty ambulances have reportedly rushed to the scene to treat the wounded, with multiple hospitals in nearby Larissa now operating on an “emergency basis,” local reports added. Fire crews also responded to fight a blaze that erupted on some cars, while the police and military have also mobilized rescue teams.
It remains unclear what caused the collision, and officials have yet to discuss any investigation into the deadly incident.
