After sunrise, one of the remaining passenger carriages could be seen resting on its side at an almost 90-degree angle from the rest of the train. Smoke rose from trains as firefighters and rescuers tried to help out the victims after the accident. ", 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.". Police took their names as they arrived, in an effort to track anyone who may be missing. 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. Unfortunately, our efforts have not been sufficient to prevent such a bad incident. Later in the year, a second accident resulted in ten injuries, with two of them ultimately dying. Box 500 Station A Toronto, ON Canada, M5W 1E6. Later in the year, a second accident resulted in ten injuries, with two of them ultimately dying. Web19th century 1830s. Two rail officials were being questioned by police but had not been detained. Police took their names as they arrived, in an effort to track anyone who may be missing. 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. Survivors said several passengers were thrown through the windows due to the impact. Television footage showed derailed carriages with cargo containers flipped over and crash debris strewn across a nearby road. "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. Why did Twitter suspend Sen. Mike Lees personal account? There's debris flung all around the crash site.". ", The regional governor added: "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. Rail operator Hellenic Train said the northbound passenger train from Athens to Thessaloniki, Greeces second-largest city, had about 350 passengers on board. 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. The cause remains unknown. Survivors said several passengers were thrown through the windows of the train cars due to the impact. The good news about egg prices. 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. How much could a short, brisk daily walk lower your health risks? 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. Several of the dead are believed to have been found in the restaurant car near the front of the passenger train. Meanwhile, Greek President Katerina Sakellaropoulou said she was cutting short a visit to Moldova to return to Greece. Dozens hurt in fiery train crash, derailment in Greece. Greek President Katerina Sakellaropoulou broke off an official visit to Moldova to visit the scene, laying flowers beside the wreckage. 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. This is his story of survival. At least 29 people are dead and 85 injured after a commercial train and a passenger train collided and derailed in Greece on Tuesday. Our carriage didnt derail, but the ones in front did and were smashed, he said, visibly shaken. The U.S. Embassy in Athens said it was not aware of any American victims, adding that it was deeply saddened by the news of the tragic train collision this morning. Condolences poured in from world leaders, and European Union flags in front of the European Commission headquarters in Brussels were lowered to half-staff. We found a hole and from there we managed to get out. Costas Agorastos, the regional governor of the Thessaly area, told Greece's Skai Television the two trains collided head on at high speed. "We are pulling out people alive, injured there are dead. 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 pontiff sends the assurance of his prayers to everyone affected by this tragedy, the message said. They said others fought to free themselves after the passenger train buckled, slamming into a field next to the tracks. 1837 Seaboard and Roanoke Railroad collision, Suffolk, Virginia; 3 killed plus dozens injured. By subscribing, you agree to SBSs terms of service and privacy policy including receiving email updates from SBS. "It's hard to describe the scene. They said others fought to free themselves after the passenger train buckled, slamming into a field near the gorge, about 380 kilometers (235 miles) north of Athens. Fire brigade spokesman Vassilis Varthakogiannis said at a briefing Wednesday that the death toll was likely to rise as identifying remains from the first car of the passenger train in particular would be difficult due to the extreme heat of the fire that erupted. "There were many big pieces of steel," said Vassilis Polyzos, a local resident who said he was one of the first people on the scene. At least 29 people are dead and 85 injured after a commercial train and a passenger train collided and derailed in Greece on Tuesday. Dear President Biden: War in Ukraine isnt just about Ukraine, There can be no genuine budget discipline without entitlement reform, Two birds, one stone: 1619 Project vindicates capitalism. The cargo train it collided with wastravelling from Thessaloniki to the city ofLarissa. This is a terrifying process for parents and relatives who are here. 1833 Hightstown rail accident, Hightstown, New Jersey; 2 killed plus 15 injured.Earliest recorded train accident involving the death of passengers. Stergios Minenis, a 28-year-old passenger who jumped to safety from the wreckage, said: "We heard a big bang. 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. 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. Officials said the army had been contacted to assist. ", Vassilis Polyzos, a local resident who said he was one of the first people on the scene, said both trains were completely destroyed.. The fire was immediate, as we were turning over we were being burned, fire was right and left.". Harry and Meghan reportedly losing their U.K. royal residence. "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. 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. "We were turning over in the wagon until we fell on our sides then there was panic, cables (everywhere) the fire was immediate, as we were turning over we were being burned.". Rescuer Lazaros Sarianidis told ERT that crews were very carefully trying to disentangle steel, sheet metal and other material that was twisted together by the crash. The crash came after a holiday weekend, in which people across the country don colorful clothing, beat drums and parade through villages before the beginning of Lent. 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 said others fought to free themselves after the passenger train buckled, slamming into a field near a gorge, about 380 kilometres north of Athens. Police took their names as they arrived, in an effort to track anyone who may be missing. "People, naturally, were scared - very scared," he said. "We are living through a tragedy. Derailed carriages, badly damaged with broken windows and thick plumes of smoke, could be seen on the site. Terms of Use / Privacy Policy / Manage Newsletters, - We're getting cranes to come in and special lifting equipment clear the debris and lift the rail cars. Another two people were detained for questioning. He said windows shattered, showering riders with glass. 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. The crash killed at least 36 people and injured at least 85 people. Hospital officials in the nearby city of Larissa said at least 25 people had serious injuries. Our carriage didnt derail, but the ones in front did and were smashed, he said, visibly shaken. The pain is unspeakable, he said. We are going to be here all night until we finish;until we find the last person.". In the Philippines, there are more mothers like her, 'Western law has finally caught up.' 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. "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. "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. Rescuers turned to heavy machinery to start moving large pieces of wreckage, revealing more bodies and dismembered remains. ", "The front section of the train was smashed. The region's governor said the collision was so violent that the first two carriages of the passenger train "no longer exist". Why, with todays technology that has existed for many years, should so many lives hang on a human hand?. Rescue crews illuminated the scene with floodlights before dawn Wednesday as they searched frantically through the twisted, smoking wreckage for survivors. Several of the dead are believed to have been found in the restaurant area near the front of the passenger train. The crash killed at least 26 people and injured at least 85 people. At least 32 people have died after a passenger train collided with an oncoming freight train in northern Greece early on Wednesday. The trains crashed just before the Vale of Tempe, a gorge that separates the regions of Thessaly and Macedonia. 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. What appeared to be the third carriage lay atop the clumped remains of the first two. Survivors said some passengers were thrown from the train car windows on impact. I wasnt hurt but I was stained with blood from other people who were hurt near me, he said. While the cause of Tuesday's collision was not immediately clear, Greece's ageing railway system has long been in need of modernising, with many trains travelling on single tracks and signalling and automatic control systems yet to be installed in many areas. 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. The crash killed at least 26 people and injured at least 85 people. I'm still shaking," a22-year-old passenger named Angelos told AFP. At least 29 people are dead and 85 injured after a commercial train and a passenger train collided and derailed in Greece on Tuesday. The cause of the deadliest rail crash in Greece in decades remained unclear. March 1, 2023 11.14am. "We are living through a tragedy. At least 32 people have died after a passenger train collided with an oncoming freight train in northern Greece early on Wednesday. Officials said the army had been contacted to assist. Many of the approximately 350 people aboard the passenger train were students returning from Greeces raucous Carnival, officials said. The collision was so violent that the first two carriages of the passenger train "no longer exist", he told Skai television. Others fought to free themselves after the passenger train buckled and slammedinto a field next to the tracks, some being burnt in the process. Another passenger car appeared to be mangled as a crane slowly began lifting it. A train carrying hundreds of passengers collided with an oncoming freight train in northern Greece, killing and injuring dozens passengers. The wagon started to spin and then it ended up on its side and we got out. They were travelling at great speed and one (driver) didnt know the other was coming, he added. It will take a long time, said Sarianidis. Please try again later. A picture taken with a drone shows firefighters and rescue crews working to extricate passengers from trains after a collision near Larissa city, Greece. 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. The crash, which also injured 85 people, occurred shortly before midnight in the Tempe Valley in central Greece, the Hellenic Fire Service said. Were working to restore it. 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. Many of the victims were thought to be university students. / CBS/AP. The stationmaster in the city of Larissa was arrested, Greek police said Wednesday. Police said the 59-year-old stationmaster in Larissa was arrested, and a further two people detained for questioning. Survivors said the impact threw several passengers through the windows of train cars. "It's tragic. 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. Rescuers in Larissa, Greece are searching for survivors in the twisted remains of a passenger train and freight train that collided at high speed shortly before midnight. "They were travelling at great speed and one [driver] didn't know the other was coming," he said. 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. 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. In these 3.5 years, we have made every effort to improve this reality, he said as he announced his resignation. There were many big pieces of steel, he said. 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. A passenger train travelling from Athens to the northern city of Thessaloniki collided with a freight train outside Larissa just before midnight. Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis also visited the site, pledging to probe the causes of the crash and prevent a recurrence of such a tragedy. Hospital units used to treat burn victims in the area were alerted and dozens of ambulances dispatched to the scene. At least 32 people have been killed and 85 others injured in a train collision in central Greece. Others scoured the field with flashlights and checked underneath the wreckage. The crash occurred as the passenger train emerged from a tunnel. By Sunita Patel-Carstairs and Sharon Marris, news reporters, Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player. TikTok announced it was banning dangerous tanning content so why didn't it. This is called political responsibility.. More than 200 people who were unharmed in the crash or suffered minor injuries were transported by bus to Thessaloniki, 130 kilometers (80 miles) to the north. "Our carriage didn't derail, but the ones in front did and were smashed," he said, visibly shaken. Tumbling over, fires, cables hanging, broken windows, people screaming, people trapped.. The passenger train was en route from Athens to Thessaloniki with 342 passengers and a crew of 10. Fire brigade spokesperson Vassilis Varthakogiannis said the evacuation of passengers took place in very "difficult conditions given the severity of the collision of the two trains". First and foremost, our thoughts today are with the relatives of the victims. Pope Francis sent his condolences and passed along blessings to those injured and to emergency workers, according to the Vaticans news agency. Nearly 30 people were killed and 85 people were injured after a freight and passenger train collided with each other in Greece. The death toll was expected to rise further, a fire brigade official said. 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. 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. The whole of Europe is mourning with you, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said in a tweet Wednesday. Agorastor told SKAI TV the two trains collided head on the passenger train travelling from Athens to Thessaloniki, and a cargo train from Thessaloniki to Larissa. 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. Kasulis Cho reported from Seoul, Francis from London and Parker from Washington. 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. 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. 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. 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. About 250 passengers who received minor injuries or were unharmed weretaken safely to Thessaloniki on busesearly on Wednesday morning.