32 dead, at least 85 injured in blazing Greek train crash
A passenger train carrying hundreds of people collided with a fast-approaching freight train in northern Greece, killing 32 people and injuring at least 85. Several cars derailed and at least three were set ablaze after a crash near the town of Tempe just before midnight on Tuesday. desperately searched for survivors. Survivors said the crash threw several passengers out of the train windows. It said it crashed into a field next to a railroad track near a canyon about 235 miles north of Athens. Local resident Vassilis Polyzos, one of the first to appear on the scene, said, “The train was completely destroyed, both passenger and freight. “Of course people were scared – very scared,” he said. They were looking around and looking. The train crashed just before the Valley of Tempe, the canyon that separates the regions of Thessaly and Macedonia. Thessalyan governor Kostas Agorastos told Greece’s Sky TV that two trains collided head-on at high speed. Smoke billows in, pulls pieces of metal out of the car, and searches for the trapped person. Others swept the fields with flashlights and checked under debris. Several of the dead are believed to have been found in a restaurant area near the front of the passenger train.A hospital official in the nearby city of Larissa said at least 25 of the injured had serious injuries. I was. It was carried out under very difficult conditions due to the severity of the collision between the two trains,” said Vassilis Varthakoyiannis, spokesman for the Greek Fire Service. Two railroad officials were under police investigation but were not detained. Passengers with minor or uninjured injuries were taken by bus to Thessaloniki, 80 miles north. Police checked their names upon arrival in order to track down the missing. “Our vehicle did not derail, but the vehicle in front derailed and was wrecked,” he said. Railway operator Hellenic Trains said about 350 passengers were on board the northbound passenger train from Athens to Thessaloniki, Greece’s second largest city. “The front of the train has been destroyed … We have brought in cranes, special lifting equipment to remove debris and lift railcars. Debris is scattered around the crash site,” officials said. rice field. The military has been contacted to help, the Hellenic Train, which has added high-speed service in recent years, is run by his FS group in Italy, which operates rail services in several European countries.
A passenger train carrying hundreds of people collided with a fast-approaching freight train in northern Greece, killing 32 people and injuring at least 85.
Several cars derailed and at least three were set ablaze after a crash near the town of Tempe just before midnight on Tuesday. I searched frantically for the twisting smoky remains.
Survivors said the impact threw several passengers out of the train windows. They said others fought to escape after the passenger train buckled. It crashed into a field next to the railroad tracks near a canyon about 235 miles north of Athens, where the main highway and railway tunnels are located.
“There were a lot of big pieces of steel,” said local resident Vassilis Polyzos, one of the first to appear on the scene. “The trains were completely destroyed, both passenger and freight trains.”
When he arrived, he said, dazed and confused people were fleeing the train’s back carriages.
“Of course people were scared, very scared,” he said. They were looking around and looking. They didn’t know where they were. ”
The train crashed just before the Valley of Tempe, the canyon that separates the regions of Thessaly and Macedonia. The governor of Thessaly region, Kostas Agorastos, told Greece’s Sky TV that two trains collided head-on at high speed.
“Cars 1 and 2 no longer exist and car 3 has derailed,” he said.
Headlamp-wearing rescue workers worked through thick smoke, pulling pieces of metal from cars to search for stranded people. Others swept the fields with flashlights and checked under debris. Some of the bodies are believed to have been found in the restaurant area near the front of the passenger train.
Hospital officials in the nearby city of Larissa said at least 25 of the injured were seriously injured.
Hellenic Fire Service spokesman Vassilis Vartakoiannis said: “The evacuation process is ongoing and is being carried out under very difficult conditions as the collision between the two trains is serious.
A possible cause of the collision was not immediately apparent. Two railroad officials were under police questioning but were not detained.
Passengers with minor or uninjured injuries were taken by bus to Thessaloniki, 80 miles north. Police named the missing people upon arrival to track them down.
A teenage survivor, who did not give his name, told reporters that he felt hard braking just before the crash and saw sparks before coming to an abrupt halt.
“Our carriage did not derail, but the carriage in front derailed and was wrecked,” he said, clearly trembling.
He added that the first car caught fire and he used the bag to break the window of the fourth car and escape.
Railway operator Hellenic Trains said about 350 passengers were on board a northbound passenger train from Athens to Thessaloniki, Greece’s second largest city.
Agorastos described the clashes on national television as “very strong” and said it was a “terrifying night”.
“The front of the train is wrecked. … A crane comes and a special lifting device clears the debris and lifts the rail car. Debris is scattered all over the crash site.”
Officials said they have contacted the military for assistance.
The Hellenic Train, which has recently added high-speed service, is operated by the Italian FS Group, which operates rail services in several European countries.
https://www.wlwt.com/article/deadly-train-crash-greece/43132319 32 dead, at least 85 injured in blazing Greek train crash
