Trains Collide In Greece; Dozens Killed

By Stefan J. Bos, Chief International Correspondent Worthy News

ATHENS (Worthy News) – Authorities say at least 32 people have been killed and 85 injured in northern Greece after two trains collided.

The crash happened just before midnight on Tuesday local time near Tempe, some 380 kilometers (235 miles) north of Athens, the capital, officials said.

“It was a very powerful collision. This is a terrible night… It’s hard to describe the scene,” Costas Agorastos, the regional governor of the central Thessaly area, told public television.

“The front section of the train was smashed … We’re getting cranes to come in, and special lifting equipment clear the debris and lift the rail cars. There’s debris flung all around the crash site,” the governor added.

The passenger train collided with a cargo train while traveling between the cities Larissa and Thessaloniki. Several train carriages derailed. “There was panic in the carriage; people were screaming,” a young man evacuated from the scene told reporters.

“It was like an earthquake,” another passenger named Angelos Tsiamouras told local media.

THICK SMOKE

The passenger spoke as rescuers wearing headlamps worked in thick smoke, pulling pieces of mangled sheet metal from the crashed rail cars to search for trapped people.

Hospital units used to treat burn victims had been alerted in the area while dozens of ambulances were involved in the rescue effort.

Rail operator Hellenic Train said the northbound passenger train from Athens to Thessaloniki had about 350 passengers on board when the collision occurred. It was not immediately clear what had caused the collision.

Officials confirmed that the army had been contacted to assist with rescue and recovery work.

Passengers who received minor injuries or were unharmed were transported by bus to Thessaloniki, 130 kilometers (80 miles) north of the incident, officials said.

But many needed urgent medical attention.

Latest Worthy News