Credit:AP. Smokes were seen from where the accident took place. 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. A passenger who escaped from the fifth carriage told the television network: "Windows were being smashed and people were screaming". "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. 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.". Police took their names as they arrived, in an effort to track anyone who may be missing. Footage from the crash site showed flames surrounding the derailed train cars, as well as the swirling lights of firetrucks and ambulances nearby. 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. At least 36 people were killed and dozens injured in a head-on collision between two trains in Greece, local authorities said. Audience Relations, CBC P.O. Rescue crews illuminated the scene with floodlights before dawn on Wednesday as they searched frantically through the twisted, smoking wreckage for survivors. Rescuers are searching through flattened, burned-out carriages for survivors and bodies after a passenger train and a freight train crashed head-on in central Greece. "The trains were completely destroyed, both passenger and freight trains.". Rescuers wearing head lamps worked in thick smoke, pulling pieces of mangled metal from the cars to search for trapped people. When something so tragic happens, it is not possible to carry on as if nothing happened. 1894 shipwreck found in Lake Huron, confirming "powerful, tragic story", Bipartisan Senate group unveils rail safety bill in response to Ohio derailment, What to know about Shigella bacteria as drug-resistant strain spreads, Greece train crash is deadliest in decades. The Greek army has been called in to assist in the rescue effort. Others scoured the field with flashlights and checked underneath the wreckage. 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. 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. (Video: The Washington Post). Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis also visited the site, pledging to probe the causes of the crash and prevent a recurrence of such a tragedy. More than 200 people who were unharmed or suffered minor injuries were taken by bus to Thessaloniki, 130 kilometers (80 miles) to the north. Survivors said several passengers were thrown through the windows due to the impact. Copyright 2023 Deseret News Publishing Company. 24/7 coverage of breaking news and live events. PASSENGERS SAY TRAIN CRASH WAS LIKE AN EXPLOSION. Karamanlis had pledged to investigate the cause of the incident. On Wednesday, rescuers turned to cranes and other heavy machinery to start moving large pieces of the trains, revealing more bodies and dismembered remains. Rail operator Hellenic Train said the northbound passenger train to Thessaloniki, Greece's second-largest city, had about 350 passengers on board. They were travelling at great speed and one (driver) didnt know the other was coming, he added. We acknowledge Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as the First Australians and Traditional Custodians of the lands where we live, learn, and work. A passenger train collided with an oncoming freight train in northern Greece early on Wednesday, killing multiple people and injuring scores of others. Two rail officials were being questioned by police but had not been detained. "They were travelling at great speed and one (driver) didn't know the other was coming," he said. He said 40 passengers had been taken to hospital with injuries, while about 250 were evacuated to Thessaloniki on buses. In comments to state television, Costas Agorastos, the regional governor of the Thessaly area, said the collision was very strong, adding that the first four carriages had derailed, while the first two were almost completely destroyed. Later in the year, a second accident resulted in ten injuries, with two of them ultimately dying. ", "The front section of the train was smashed. At least 32 people have died after a passenger train collided with an oncoming freight train in northern Greece early on Wednesday. Workers also were seen on live broadcasts moving a body on a stretcher into an ambulance. 1837 Seaboard and Roanoke Railroad collision, Suffolk, Virginia; 3 killed plus dozens injured. "This is a terrible tragedy that is hard to comprehend," said Deputy Health Minister Mina Gaga. Gogakos said the crash felt like an explosion, and some smoke entered the carriage. Thessaly regional governor Konstantinos Agorastos saidthe two trains hurtled towards each other on the same track. Broadcaster SKAI showed footage of derailed carriages, thick plumes of smoke, badly damaged broken windows, and debris strewn across the road. This year was the first time the festival, which precedes Lent, was celebrated in full since the start of the pandemic in 2020. Sources: Hellenic Fire Service, Geodata.gov.gr. "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. "Our carriage didn't derail, but the ones in front did and were smashed," he said, visibly shaken. SBS acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of Country and their connections and continuous care for the skies, lands and waterways throughout Australia. 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. 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. He used a bag to break the window of his car, the fourth, and escape. The cause of the deadliest rail crash in Greece in decades remained unclear. He said it appears the crash was "mainly due to a tragic human error.. He said dazed and disoriented people were escaping out of the train's rear carriages as he arrived. After sunrise, rescuers turned to heavy machinery to start moving large pieces of the trains. First published on February 28, 2023 / 9:00 PM. Police said the 59-year-old stationmaster in Larissa was arrested, and a further two people detained for questioning. Another two people have been detained for questioning. 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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.. A passenger named Lazos told the newspaper Proto Thema that the experience had been very shocking. He said windows shattered, showering riders with glass. Hospital units used to treat burn victims had been alerted in the area and dozens of ambulances were involved in the rescue effort. 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. At least 32 people have died after a passenger train collided with an oncoming freight train in northern Greece early on Wednesday. Fire Service Officials said 32 people were killed and at least 85 were injured. He said dazed and disoriented people were escaping out of the train's rear cars as he arrived. Agorastos described the collision on state television as "very powerful" and said it was "a terrible night. Many of the victims were thought to be university students. 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. 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. The head of emergency unit in Larissa hospital Apostolos Komnos said most of the victims were young people, in their 20s. 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