TEMPE, Greece — A passenger practice collided with an oncoming freight practice in northern Greece early on Wednesday, killing 29 individuals and injuring at the least 85, officers from Greece’s Hearth Service mentioned.
A number of practice vehicles derailed and at the least three caught fireplace after the crash close to Tempe, a small city about 235 miles north of Athens. Hospital officers within the close by metropolis of Larissa mentioned at the least 25 individuals had severe accidents.
“The evacuation course of is ongoing and is being carried out below very troublesome circumstances because of the severity of the collision between the 2 trains,” Vassilis Varthakoyiannis, a Hearth Service spokesman, mentioned. Hospital models used to deal with burn victims had been alerted within the space, he mentioned, including that dozens of ambulances had been concerned within the rescue effort.
Survivors mentioned a number of passengers had been thrown by means of the home windows of the practice vehicles. They mentioned others fought to free themselves after the passenger practice buckled, slamming right into a discipline subsequent to the tracks.
Rescuers carrying head lamps labored in thick smoke, pulling items of mangled sheet metallic from the crashed rail vehicles to seek for trapped individuals.
“It was a really highly effective collision. This can be a horrible evening,” Costas Agorastos, the regional governor of the central Thessaly space, instructed state-run tv. “The entrance part of the practice was smashed.”
The governor added that cranes and “particular lifting gear” had been coming in to clear the particles and raise the rail vehicles. “There’s particles flung throughout the crash web site,” he mentioned.
Passengers who sustained minor accidents or had been unhurt had been taken by bus to Thessaloniki, about 80 miles to the north. Police took their names as they arrived, in an effort to trace anybody who may be lacking.
A teenage survivor getting off one of many buses, who didn’t give his title, instructed Greek reporters that simply earlier than the crash, he had felt a powerful braking and seen sparks.
His carriage didn’t derail, however others in entrance of it did and had been smashed, he mentioned, visibly shaken. He mentioned he used a bag to interrupt a window and escape.
Authorities officers mentioned the military had been contacted to help within the rescue. Hellenic Practice, a rail operator, mentioned the passenger practice, heading northbound from Athens to Thessaloniki, had about 350 passengers on board when the collision occurred.
