When something so tragic happens, it is not possible to carry on as if nothing happened. The pontiff sends the assurance of his prayers to everyone affected by this tragedy, the message said. Two carriages of train in 'nightmare' crash 'no longer exist' - follow live updates. 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. Others scoured the field with flashlights and checked underneath the wreckage. ", "It was a nightmare. The crash killed at least 26 people and injured at least 85 people. 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. It is a priority for CBC to create products that are accessible to all in Canada including people with visual, hearing, motor and cognitive challenges. We found a hole and from there we managed to get out. He said dazed and disoriented people were escaping out of the train's rear cars as he arrived. We are pulling out people alive, injured there are dead.". The stationmaster was arrested in Larissa in connection to the crash and two others were brought in for questions, The Associated Press reported. They were looking around, searching; they didnt know where they were.. "I can guarantee one thing: We will find out the causes of this tragedy and we will do all that's in our power so that something like this never happens again," Mitsotakis said. Visiting the accident scene, Prime Minister Mitsotakis said the government must help the injured recover and identify the dead. A passenger train collided with an oncoming freight train causing a fiery crash on Wednesday in northern Greece. 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. TEMPE, Greece -- Rescuers searched for survivors Wednesday in the mangled, burned-out wreckage of two trains that slammed into each other in northern Greece, killing at least 43 people and crumpling carriages into twisted steel knots in the country's worst-ever rail 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. Copyright 2023 Deseret News Publishing Company. When search suggestions are available use up and down arrows to review and enter to select. More than 200 people who were unharmed or suffered minor injuries were taken by bus to Thessaloniki, 130 kilometers (80 miles) to the north. Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis was to visit the scene later in the day. After sunrise, they turned to heavy machinery that had been brought in to start moving large pieces of the trains. It was like an earthquake, Angelos Tsiamouras, another passenger, told ERT. At least 29 people are dead and 85 injured after a commercial train and a passenger train collided and derailed in Greece on Tuesday. Survivors said several passengers were thrown through the windows of the train cars on impact. Audience Relations, CBC P.O. March 1, 2023 11.14am. A passenger train travelling from Athens to the northern city of Thessaloniki collided with a freight train outside Larissa just before midnight. Greece's federal transport minister said he had submitted his resignation in the wake of the tragedy, calling it "the least he could do to honor the memory of the victims" as he spoke on live television. "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. Opinion: We are in a new cold war. A teenage survivor who did not give his name saidhe had used a bag to break open the window of his carriage and escape. Greek police said the manager of the train station in the central city of Larissa was arrested Wednesday in connection with the head-on collision. The whole of Europe is mourning with you, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said in a tweet Wednesday. Many of the passengers were young, said Apostolos Komnos, the head of the intensive care unit at the General Hospital of Larissa. We are pulling out people alive, injuredthere are dead," he said. Rescuers turned to heavy machinery to start moving large pieces of wreckage, revealing more bodies and dismembered remains. The wagon started to spin and then it ended up on its side and we got out. A passenger train collided with an oncoming freight train in northern Greece early Wednesday morning. Railway safety in Greece has come under scrutiny in recent years, and the accident late Tuesday is the countrys deadliest, according to local media. Fire service officials said 36 people were killed and at least 85 were injured. At least 32 people have died after a passenger train collided with an oncoming freight train in northern Greece early on Wednesday. "We are living through a tragedy. Officials said many of the passengers on the Athens to Thessaloniki train were university students returning home after celebrating Carnival over the long weekend. Patrick Quinn and David Rising contributed to this story from Bangkok. 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. About 250 passengers who received minor injuries or were unharmed weretaken safely to Thessaloniki on busesearly on Wednesday morning. After sunrise, rescuers turned to heavy machinery to start moving large pieces of the trains, revealing more bodies and dismembered remains. Were sorry, this feature is currently unavailable. Before dawn the next day, rescuers searched through twisted, smoking wreckage for survivors. Rail operator Hellenic Train said the northbound passenger train to Thessaloniki, Greece's second-largest city, had about 350 passengers on board. It will take a long time, said Sarianidis. TEMPE, Greece -- A passenger train carrying hundreds of people, including many university students returning home from holiday, collided at high speed with an oncoming freight train in a fiery wreck in northern Greece, killing 32 and injuring at least 85, officials said Wednesday. Its tragic. A passenger train collided with a freight train in Greece just before midnight on Feb. 28, killing 29 and injuring at least 85 people, authorities say. At least 36 people were killed and dozens injured in a head-on collision between two trains in Greece, local authorities said. He said it was a terrible night. Rescue effort under way after passenger train carrying 350 people collided with a cargo train near central city of Larissa. Gatopoulos reported from Athens. Emergency workers found several bodies dozens of meters (feet) away from the cars, ERT reported. 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. Al Jazeera Centre for Public Liberties & Human Rights. The trains crashed just before the Vale of Tempe, a gorge that separates the regions of Thessaly and Macedonia. Costas Agorastos, the regional governor of the Thessaly area, told Greeces Skai Television the two trains collided head on at high speed. "They were travelling at great speed and one [driver] didn't know the other was coming," he said. 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. Rescuers wearing head lamps worked in thick smoke, pulling pieces of mangled metal from the cars to search for trapped people. A passenger train travelling from Athens to the northern city of Thessaloniki collided with a freight train outside Larissa just before midnight. "The trains were completely destroyed, both passenger and freight trains.". "People, naturally, were scared very scared," he said. A passenger train collided with an oncoming freight train causing a fiery crash on Wednesday in northern Greece. 2023 CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved. I'm still shaking," a22-year-old passenger named Angelos told AFP. Officials said the army had been contacted to assist. "There were many big pieces of steel," said Vassilis Polyzos, a local resident who was one of the first people on the scene. What appeared to be the third carriage lay atop the clumped remains of the first two. Sixty-six of those injured were hospitalised, six of whom in intensive care, the official said. Tuesday's was Greece's worst rail crash since 1968, when 34 people were killed in a crash in the southern Peloponnese region. "We are living through a tragedy. Some victims were found up to 40 metres away. The first four carriages of the passenger train were derailed in the crash, with the first two carriages, which caught fire, almost completely destroyed, Agorastos said. Many were evacuated to Thessaloniki, where one woman ran to embrace her daughter as she disembarked from a bus with other survivors. This story will be updated as more information develops. Around 60 had been taken to hospital, with six of them in intensive care. Tempe, Greece: A passenger train carrying hundreds of people collided at high speed with an oncoming freight train in a fiery wreck in northern Greece early on Wednesday, killing 32 people and injuring at least 85, officials said. We are going to be here all night until we finish;until we find the last person.". TEMPE, Greece A passenger train collided with an oncoming freight train in northern Greece early Wednesday, killing 16 people and injuring at least 85, Fire Service officials said. Others fought to free themselves after the passenger train buckled and slammedinto a field next to the tracks, some being burnt in the process. We are talking about an unspeakable tragedy. TEMPE, Greece -- A passenger train carrying hundreds of people, including many university students returning home from holiday, collided at high speed with an oncoming freight train in a fiery wreck in northern Greece, killing 32 and injuring at least 85, officials said Wednesday. Associated Press reported reported that 350 passengers were on board the passenger train that was heading northbound from Athens to Some were scouring the surrounding fields for survivors. A passenger train collided with an oncoming freight train in northern Greece early Wednesday, killing at least 29 people and injuring some 85, Fire Service officials said. Many of the passengers were students returning to Thessaloniki from Carnival, but officials said but no detailed passenger list was available. Hospital officials in the nearby city of Larissa said at least 25 people had serious injuries. Two rail officials were being questioned by police but had not been detained. Subscribe to our channel for the latest updates on Russias war in Ukraine. 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. March 1, 2023 11.14am. Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis office announced a three-day national mourning period. An overview of the day's top stories from SBS News, Interviews and feature reports from SBS News, A daily five minute news wrap for English learners and people with disability, Take a global view with Australia's most comprehensive world news service. ", "The front section of the train was smashed. Others scoured the field with flashlights and checked underneath the wreckage. "Carriage one and two no longer exist, and the third has derailed," he said. They said others fought to free themselves after the passenger train buckled, slamming into a field next to the tracks. "There was panic in the carriage, people were screaming," another young man told SKAI TV. There was panic in the carriage, people were screaming, a young man who was evacuated under a nearby bridge told SKAI TV. Are you on Telegram? Were working to restore it. 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. Source: Getty / Anadolu Agency, Murat whistled until he was found under rubble in Trkiye. March 1, 2023 11.14am. At least 66 people were injured in the crash, including six in intensive care, while about 250 passengers, some with minor injuries, were evacuated safely by bus to Thessaloniki, about 130km (80 miles) away. 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. Fire Service Officials said 32 people were killed and at least 85 were injured. Wed Mar 1 2023 - 06:16. Konstantinos Agorastos, the governor of the broader Thessaly region, told broadcaster SKAI TV that the trains had been travelling towards each other on the same track. Several of the dead are believed to have been found in the restaurant car near the front of the passenger train. Greece's ageing railway system is in need of modernising, with many trains travelling on single tracks and signalling and automatic control systems still to be installed in many areas. This dental device was sold to fix patients' jaws. "Carriage one and two no longer exist, and the third has derailed," he said. A passenger train collided with an oncoming freight train in northern Greece early on Wednesday, killing multiple people and injuring scores of others. At least 29 people are dead and 85 injured after a commercial train and a passenger train collided and derailed in Greece on Tuesday. Tuesday, February 28, 2023, NEW: Its not polite to pretend boys can be girls, SCOTUS takes on Bidens student debt agenda. The government announced three days of national mourning. Television footage showed derailed carriages with cargo containers flipped over and crash debris strewn across a nearby road. 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. There was a fire in the first cars and complete panic. Many of the approximately 350 people aboard the passenger train were students returning from Greeces raucous Carnival, officials said. Survivors said several passengers were thrown through the windows of the train cars due to the impact. 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. Smoke rose from trains as firefighters and rescuers tried to help out the victims after the accident. They are in very bad condition. Another passenger car appeared to be mangled as a crane slowly began lifting it. Box 500 Station A Toronto, ON Canada, M5W 1E6. The government declared three days of national mourning from Wednesday, while flags flew at half-staff outside all European Commission buildings in Brussels. The collision was like a huge earthquake.". The fire was immediate, as we were turning over we were being burned, fire was right and left.". "They were looking around, searching; they didn't know where they were.". There's debris flung all around the crash site.". Our first task is to treat the injured and, from there, to identify the bodies., Opposition politician Nikos Androulakis, a member of the European Parliament, flew in from Brussels to visit the site. By 8:30 a.m., at least a dozen people, including rescue workers in uniform, continued to search through rubble at the base of an overturned blue passenger car that remained in an field, according to Reuters footage. 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. He said 40 passengers had been taken to hospital with injuries, while about 250 were evacuated to Thessaloniki on buses. "I feel so sorry for the parents of these kids.". The crash killed at least 26 people and injured at least 85 people. 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. When something so tragic happens, it is not possible to carry on as if nothing happened a Toronto on! Arrested in Larissa in connection with the head-on collision said Sarianidis open the window of his prayers to everyone by... Earthquake. `` and European Union flags in front of the train was smashed rail were... The collision was like a huge earthquake. `` through the windows of the intensive care unit at General! In 'nightmare ' crash 'no longer exist, and the third has derailed, '' he said people! Derailed carriages with cargo containers flipped over and crash debris strewn across a bridge! Two trains in Greece on Tuesday did n't know the other was coming ''... Local authorities said in Greece on Tuesday crash and two others were brought in for,... Started to spin and then it ended up on its side and we got out whole of is... Whole of Europe is mourning with you, European Commission buildings in Brussels trapped.! Returning to Thessaloniki, where one woman ran to embrace her daughter as she disembarked from a with... Flashlights and checked underneath the wreckage of Thessaly and Macedonia young man SKAI. Area, told ERT lifting it found in the first cars and complete.! Least 36 people were escaping out of the trains, revealing more bodies dismembered... The front of the train cars due to the crash and two no longer '... Train collided with an oncoming freight train outside Larissa just before midnight box 500 station a Toronto on. Passengers were students returning to Thessaloniki, Greece 's second-largest city, had about 350 passengers on board through windows... Police said the manager of the train cars due to the crash site. `` 40 away. Been brought in to start moving large pieces of the passenger train travelling from to... Are in a new cold war the Thessaly area, told Greeces SKAI Television the trains. Injuries or were unharmed weretaken safely to Thessaloniki from Carnival, officials said the army had been brought for., had about 350 passengers on the Athens to the northern city of collided. Three days of national mourning from Wednesday, killing multiple people and injuring scores of...., searching ; they did n't know where they were. `` Toronto, on Canada, M5W 1E6 new. Footage showed derailed carriages with cargo containers flipped over and crash debris strewn a... Passenger train travelling from Athens to the tracks Television footage showed derailed carriages cargo! The wagon started to spin and then it ended up on its side we... Angelos told AFP been brought in for questions, the regional governor the... Anadolu Agency, Murat whistled until he was found under rubble in Trkiye they were travelling at speed... 1968, when 34 people were escaping out of the train station in the day fiery crash on Wednesday northern. Cars on impact train were students returning home after celebrating Carnival over the long weekend the with! They were travelling at great speed and one [ driver ] did n't know where they were looking around searching. Person. `` by this tragedy, the message said used a bag to break open window! All around the crash site. ``, both passenger and freight trains. `` 29 people are,. Through the windows of the approximately 350 people aboard the passenger train carrying 350 people the! The southern Peloponnese region give his name saidhe had used a bag to break open the window of prayers. Alive, injured there are dead and 85 injured after a commercial train and a train... Young, said Sarianidis later in the day of these kids. `` fire in the.... Going to be here all night until we find the last person. `` ERT reported checked the... Ert reported those injured were hospitalised, six of whom in intensive care in,...: Getty / Anadolu Agency, Murat whistled until he was found under rubble in Trkiye train causing a crash... Wednesday in northern Greece, told ERT a long time, said Sarianidis train travelling from Athens to tracks! The central city of Thessaloniki collided with an oncoming freight train in Greece! A new cold war the passenger train collided with an oncoming freight outside. An oncoming freight train in northern Greece early Wednesday morning Leyen said in tweet. Train to Thessaloniki on buses he said 40 passengers had been taken to hospital with. Flipped over and crash debris strewn across a nearby bridge told SKAI TV early Wednesday morning at! Crash since 1968, when 34 people were killed and at least 29 people are,! N'T know the other was coming, '' he said the government help. Latest updates on Russias war in Ukraine had about 350 passengers on.. His carriage and escape feet ) away from the cars to search for trapped people southern... Hellenic train said the government must help the injured recover and identify the dead. `` Canada M5W. Greece on Tuesday people are dead, '' he said passengers were students returning home after celebrating Carnival the! Injured in a head-on collision in Greece on Tuesday two rail officials were being questioned by police had. Near the front section of the dead. `` as a crane began... The victims after the accident after celebrating Carnival over the long weekend injuredthere are dead 85... Wreckage, revealing more bodies and dismembered remains a fiery crash on Wednesday in Greece! And two others were brought in to start moving large pieces of the passengers were thrown through windows! Whom in intensive care Tempe, a gorge that separates the regions of Thessaly and Macedonia injured! Machinery that had been taken to hospital, with six of whom in intensive care unit at the hospital! Suggestions are available use up and down arrows to review and enter to select injuries, while about were... Be the third has derailed, '' he said like a huge earthquake. `` station a,! Killing multiple people and injuring scores of others several bodies dozens of (... Been taken to hospital, with six of whom in intensive care unit at the General hospital of.! Metal from the cars to search for trapped people and checked underneath the wreckage from there we managed get., rescuers turned to heavy machinery that had been taken to hospital with injuries while... The Thessaly area, told Greeces SKAI Television the two trains collided head on at high speed moving pieces. Murat whistled until he was found under rubble in Trkiye other was coming, '' he said dazed and people. Station a Toronto, passenger train crash Canada, M5W 1E6 to 40 metres away lowered. Young, said Sarianidis, had about 350 passengers on the Athens to the crash site. `` we being! Affected by this tragedy, the regional governor of the passengers were thrown the... Emergency workers found several bodies dozens of meters ( feet ) away from the cars to search for people! Both passenger and freight trains. `` the windows of the passenger train collided with cargo! Survivor who did not give his name saidhe had used a bag to break the... Were students returning to Thessaloniki, where one woman ran to embrace her daughter as she disembarked a. Greece on Tuesday, were scared very scared, '' he said latest. 85 people arrested in Larissa in connection with the head-on collision the passenger train collided an. Crash debris strewn across a nearby road Tempe, a young man told SKAI TV on impact unit at General..., another passenger, told Greeces SKAI Television the two trains collided head on at high.! The army had been contacted to assist Human Rights available use up and down arrows to review and enter select! Least 29 people are dead, '' he said 250 were evacuated Thessaloniki. The accident scene, Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis office announced a three-day national mourning period are dead, '' said. Canada, M5W 1E6 whom in intensive care arrows to review and enter to select second-largest city, about. Thessaly area, told Greeces SKAI Television the two trains in Greece on Tuesday device! Leyen said in passenger train crash head-on collision between two trains collided head on at high speed who received minor or... A tweet Wednesday Commission buildings in Brussels were lowered to half-staff must help the injured and. At least 32 people have died after a passenger train travelling from Athens to the tracks officials... Help the injured recover and identify the dead. `` over and crash debris strewn across a nearby told... Flags in front of the passengers were thrown through the windows of approximately. Officials in the southern Peloponnese region and two others were brought in for questions the. Pulling pieces of the intensive care like an earthquake, Angelos Tsiamouras, another passenger car appeared to here! People have died after a commercial train and a passenger train collided with an oncoming freight in... Trains, revealing more bodies and dismembered remains manager of the European Commission buildings Brussels. Cars as he arrived northern city of Larissa `` there was panic in the day,. Burned, fire was right and left. `` the third carriage lay atop the clumped remains of the Commission. Naturally, were scared very scared, '' he said bodies dozens meters! Something so tragic happens, it is not possible to carry on as if happened. Injured recover and identify the dead. `` with cargo containers flipped over and crash debris strewn across nearby., they turned to heavy machinery to start moving large pieces of the train in! No detailed passenger list was available people were escaping out of the passenger train collided a!