Horror train crash kills dozens

The collision between freight and passenger trains in Greece caused a blaze with people trapped inside overturned cars

At least 32 people have been killed and dozens more injured following a head-on collision between two trains in northeastern Greece. Some 350 passengers were on board one of the trains at the time of the crash. Rescuers on site have pulled many survivors from the wreckage.

The incident took place shortly after midnight on Wednesday near Tempe, close to Greece’s eastern coast and some 144 miles (233km) north of Athens.

A representative of the Greek fire service, Vassilis Vathrakogiannis, confirmed 32 fatalities, in addition to some 85 injured. At least 25 of those injured are said to be in “serious condition,” according to state-run broadcaster ERT News, which noted that several train cars were derailed in the collision.

“It was a very powerful collision. This is a terrible night… It’s hard to describe the scene,” Costas Agorastos, the regional governor of Greece’s Thessaly region, told state media, adding that around 250 survivors had been evacuated to Thessaloniki on buses.

At least 15 people are said to have died, dozens left injured after 2 trains collided

Witnesses in the aftermath of the crash near Tempe in Greece 🇬🇷 shortly after midnight on Wednesday described an intense fire on one of the carriages, with a large emergency response underway https://t.co/awJtLviS88 pic.twitter.com/i2YgdRznjz

— Saad Abedine (@SaadAbedine) March 1, 2023

Passengers reached by local media described the moment of the crash, saying they felt a “strong jolt” before the train lost power, forcing panicked travelers to smash windows in order to flee overturned railcars.

📹 | Passenger train with around 400 passengers collides with cargo train in #Greece‘s Larissa.pic.twitter.com/IGXDhnpsZT

— EHA News (@eha_news) March 1, 2023

Thirty ambulances reportedly rushed to the scene to treat the victims, with multiple hospitals in nearby Larissa now operating on an “emergency basis,” local reports added. Fire crews battled a blaze that erupted in some cars, while the police and military have also mobilized rescue teams.