Pope Francis sent his condolences and passed along blessings to those injured and to emergency workers, according to the Vaticans news agency. He said that the first car caught fire and that he used a bag to break the window of his car, the fourth, and escape. 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 Tuesday night, killing at least 36 people and injuring some 85, officials said Wednesday. 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. Others scoured the field with flashlights and checked underneath the wreckage. The government declared three days of national mourning from Wednesday, while flags flew at half-staff outside all European Commission buildings in Brussels. TEMPE, Greece (AP) A head-on collision between a passenger train and a freight train flattened carriages, killed at least 36 people and injured some 85, Greek officials said Wednesday. 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. Rescuer Lazaros Sarianidis told ERT that crews were very carefully trying to disentangle steel, sheet metal and other material that was twisted together by the crash. The pain is unspeakable, he said. 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. Costas Agorastos, the regional governor of the Thessaly area, told Greece's Skai Television the two trains collided head on at high speed. It was like an earthquake, Angelos Tsiamouras, another passenger, told ERT. Unfortunately, I have to interrupt my visit in order to be close to my people, to support those who need it, she told a joint news conference in the Moldovan capital, Chisinau, alongside Moldovan President Maia Sandu. Smoke rose from trains as firefighters and rescuers tried to help out the victims after the accident. My head hit the roof of the carriage with the jolt," Stefanos Gogakos, who was in a rear car, told state broadcaster ERT. The crash took place outside the central city of Larissa late on Tuesday, when a passenger train heading from the capital, Athens, to Thessaloniki collided with a cargo train travelling from the northern city. At least 29 people are dead and 85 injured after a commercial train and a passenger train collided and derailed in Greece on Tuesday. A teenage survivor who didn't give his name to reporters said that just before the crash, he felt a strong braking and saw sparks, then there was a sudden stop. Local media said the train left Athens around 7.30 pm local time on Tuesday. We are going to be here all night, until we finish, until we find the last person, a volunteer rescue worker told the ERT public broadcaster. Turn on desktop notifications for breaking stories about interest? Many of the passengers were students returning to Thessaloniki from Carnival, but officials said but no detailed passenger list was available. He added that the first car caught fire and that he used a bag to break the window of his car, the fourth, and escape. Updated on: March 1, 2023 / 9:20 AM The stationmaster was arrested in Larissa in connection to the crash and two others were brought in for questions, The Associated Press reported. At least 16 people have been killed and dozens injured after a head-on collision between a passenger and cargo train in Greece. Survivors said several passengers were thrown through the windows of the train cars due to the impact. Fire brigade spokesman Vassilis Varthakogiannis said at a briefing Wednesday that the death toll was likely to rise as identifying remains from the first car of the passenger train in particular would be difficult due to the extreme heat of the fire that erupted. Associated Press At least 16 people have been killed and dozens injured after a head-on collision between a passenger and cargo train in Greece. Al Jazeera Centre for Public Liberties & Human Rights. "It's hard to describe the scene. "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. 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. 1833 Hightstown rail accident, Hightstown, New Jersey; 2 killed plus 15 injured.Earliest recorded train accident involving the death of passengers. Meanwhile, Greek President Katerina Sakellaropoulou said she was cutting short a visit to Moldova to return to Greece. Tuesday, February 28, 2023, NEW: Its not polite to pretend boys can be girls, SCOTUS takes on Bidens student debt agenda. Its tragic. When search suggestions are available use up and down arrows to review and enter to select. Many of the passengers would have been returning home after a long holiday weekend marking the beginning of Greek Orthodox lent. The government declared three days of national mourning, with flags flying at half-mast in a tribute to the victims. "We were turning over in the wagon until we fell on our sides then there was panic, cables [everywhere], fire. "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 Vassilis Varthakoyiannis, a spokesperson for Greece's firefighting service. "We were turning over in the wagon until we fell on our sides then there was panic, cables (everywhere) the fire was immediate, as we were turning over we were being burned.". 1894 shipwreck found in Lake Huron, confirming "powerful, tragic story", Bipartisan Senate group unveils rail safety bill in response to Ohio derailment, What to know about Shigella bacteria as drug-resistant strain spreads, Greece train crash is deadliest in decades. Our country is experiencing an unspeakable tragedy, and we are all facing the huge question of why, he told journalists there, according to Kathimerini. 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. Several of the dead are believed to have been found in the restaurant area near the front of the passenger train. Greece had the highest overall railway fatality rate among 29 countries studied in a 2022 safety report by the European Union Agency for Railways, as well as the seventh-highest passenger fatality rate. Dozens hurt in fiery train crash, derailment in Greece. The government declared three days of national mourning, with flags flying at half-mast in a tribute to the victims of the crash. A passenger train collided with an oncoming freight train in northern Greece early on Wednesday, killing multiple people and injuring scores of others. "We are living through a tragedy. The trains crashed just before the Vale of Tempe, a gorge that separates the regions of Thessaly and Macedonia. (Video: The Washington Post). The collision was like a huge earthquake.". Survivors said the impact threw several passengers through the windows of train cars. Wed Mar 1 2023 - 06:16. Passenger train from Athens collides head-on with freight train in Greece, killing 36 people. There are 20 to 25 people still missing, so the death toll from the collision could change, according to the BBC. Eight rail employees were among those killed in the crash, including the two drivers of the freight train and the two drivers of the passenger train, according to Greek Railroad Workers Union President Yannis Nitsas. I consider it a necessary element of our democracy that the citizens of our country trust the political system. A teenage survivor who did not give his name to reporters said that just before the crash he felt sudden braking and saw sparks and then there was a sudden stop. A passenger train collided with an oncoming freight train causing a fiery crash on Wednesday in northern Greece. (AP) The incident took place in Tempe, near the north of Athens. Five hours later, we are finding bodies.". He said 40 passengers had been taken to hospital with injuries, while about 250 were evacuated to Thessaloniki on buses. "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. We just heard a bang the (train) car started spinning, before ending up sideways when we managed to exit, one passenger told Greek public broadcaster ERT, per CNN. Harry and Meghan reportedly losing their U.K. royal residence. An emergency government meeting was organised after the crash and Greek health minister Thanos Plevris went to the scene. At least 36 people have been killed and dozens more injured in a train collision in central Greece. There was a fire in the first cars and complete panic. He added that the first car caught fire and that he used a bag to break the window of his car, the fourth, and escape. "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. Copyright 2023 The Washington Times, LLC. 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. Unfortunately, our efforts have not been sufficient to prevent such a bad incident. The trains crashed just before the Vale of Tempe, a gorge that separates the regions of Thessaly and Macedonia. Karamanlis said the Greek railway system was not up to 21st-century standards when he took office. Multiple cars derailed and at least three burst into flames after the collision just before midnight Tuesday near the town of Tempe as the passenger train was emerging from a highway underpass. Greece sold railway operator TRAINOSE to Italys Ferrovie dello Stato Italiane in 2017 as part of its international bailout programme, in the expectation that hundreds of millions of euros would be invested in rail infrastructure. It will take a long time, said Sarianidis. Eight rail employees were among those killed in the crash, including the two operators of the freight train and the two operators of the passenger train, according to Greek Railroad Workers Union President Yannis Nitsas. Footage from the crash site showed flames surrounding the derailed train cars, as well as the swirling lights of firetrucks and ambulances nearby. Greece's firefighting service said some 66 people were hospitalized, including six in intensive care. "The trains were completely destroyed, both passenger and freight trains.". The Greek railway system was not up to 21st-century standards when he took office prevent a. For breaking stories about interest Orthodox lent it a necessary element of our country trust the political.... Suggestions are available use up and down arrows to review and enter to select collided with an oncoming train. Democracy that the citizens of our country trust the political system, told ERT found in the area. 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