350 travelers were traveling from Athens to Thessaloniki during the night when their train collided head-on with a freight train. Four wagons derail, fire breaks out. The extent of the catastrophe only becomes clear during the night, as more and more dead people are found in the rubble. The rescue work is difficult because of the enormous damage.
At least 26 people died in a serious train accident in Greece last night. At least 85 other people were injured, fire department spokesman Vassilis Varthakogiannis said in a television speech early this morning. Still looking for survivors. "The evacuation of the passengers is taking place under very difficult conditions as the collision of the two trains was very serious." 350 travelers and 20 railway workers are said to have traveled in the two trains. Local media initially reported dozens of injuries before the extent of the disaster became clear.
It is not yet known how the accident happened. A passenger train going from Athens to the northern city of Thessaloniki and a freight train on the way from Thessaloniki to Larissa - collided head-on near the city of Larissa, the governor of the Thessaly region Konstantinos Agorastos told the TV channel "Skai". A total of four wagons derailed and at least two caught fire. The first two wagons were "almost completely destroyed" by the impact.
Greek television showed videos from the scene of the accident. Dense smoke billowed from the shattered windows of the derailed wagons. Firefighters and rescue workers try to find survivors in the rubble. "Most of the injured have head injuries, broken pelvises, arms and legs. Unfortunately, there are numerous people who are still in the rubble," a member of a rescue team told reporters at the scene.
A survivor said fire broke out on the passenger train after the collision. "There was chaos and a hell of a noise," he added on state television. Other travelers also report panic. "We smashed the window panes with our suitcases and groped our way out of our wagon in the dark," reports a young man. About 250 passengers were safely taken to Thessaloniki by bus, Agorastos said.
The route, which connects Athens with the northern Greek port of Thessaloniki, has been modernized in recent years. The Greek railways (Hellenic Train) are operated by the Italian state railway Ferrovie dello Stato Italiane (FS). Railway workers said on the Greek broadcaster Real FM that, despite the modernization, there were significant problems with the electrical coordination of traffic control.
