GREECE: A passenger train and cargo train collided head-on in Greece last night, killing at least 36 people and injuring 85 as country’s deadliest rail crash in decades threw entire carriages off tracks. Sixty-six of those injured were hospitalised, six of whom are in intensive care, fire official said. Crash occurred as passenger train emerged from tunnel.

Derailed carriages, badly damaged with broken windows and thick plumes of smoke, could be seen on site, where rescuers were looking for more survivors. One passenger carriage stood on its side at almost ninety degrees from rest of wrecked train, with other derailed carriages tilting precariously.

Stergios Minenis 28-year-old passenger who jumped to safety from wreckage said crash was ‘Nightmarish’ with loud bang followed by fire. About 250 passengers out of total of 350 were evacuated safely to Thessaloniki on buses. “Our priority now is treating injured, searching and finding missing people in debris and offering psychological support to relatives of victims by psychologists who are heading to Larissa city,” government spokesman Giannis Oikonomou said. Two trains had been on same track when they crashed into each other.

There is an ongoing investigation by prosecutor and police into what caused accident, Hellenic Train official told Reuters on condition of anonymity.

Published in The Daily National Courier, March, 02 2023

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