Rescue crews illuminated the scene with floodlights in the hours before dawn on Wednesday as they searched through the twisted, smoking wreckage for survivors. I feel so sorry for the parents of these kids.. Rescuers are searching wreckage for survivors after 26 people died and at least 85 were injured in a collision between a passenger train and a freight train in central Greece. FDA panel recommends first RSV vaccine for adults 60 and older, Biden touts plan to raise taxes on the rich, but its unclear he has support in the House, Eli Lilly announces out-of-pocket cap on insulin at $35 a month, Why are eggs so expensive? Rescue effort under way after passenger train carrying 350 people collided with a cargo train near central city of Larissa. This is his story of survival. Rescuers in Larissa, Greece are searching for survivors in the twisted remains of a passenger train and freight train that collided at high speed shortly before midnight. Rail operator Hellenic Train said the northbound passenger train to Thessaloniki, Greece's second-largest city, had about 350 passengers on board. The government declared three days of national mourning until Friday, with flags flying at half-mast in a tribute to the victims. Tuesday, February 28, 2023, NEW: Its not polite to pretend boys can be girls, SCOTUS takes on Bidens student debt agenda. Rescue crews illuminated the scene with floodlights before dawn on Wednesday as they searched frantically through the twisted, smoking wreckage for survivors. At least 32 people have been killed and 85 others injured in a train collision in central Greece. A passenger train collided with a freight train in Greece just before midnight on Feb. 28, killing 29 and injuring at least 85 people, authorities say. Our country is experiencing an unspeakable tragedy, and we are all facing the huge question of why, he told journalists there, according to Kathimerini. The crash came after a holiday weekend, in which people across the country don colorful clothing, beat drums and parade through villages before the beginning of Lent. The impact just before midnight Tuesday threw some passengers into ceilings and out the windows. 1833 Hightstown rail accident, Hightstown, New Jersey; 2 killed plus 15 injured.Earliest recorded train accident involving the death of passengers. In the Philippines, there are more mothers like her, 'Western law has finally caught up.' When something so tragic happens, it is not possible to carry on as if nothing happened. Passengers speaking to the BBC described hearing a big bang and escaping the fire that engulfed their train immediately after the collision. Police took their names as they arrived, in an effort to track anyone who may be missing. "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," spokesperson Vassilis Vathrakogiannis said. Railway safety in Greece has come under scrutiny in recent years, and the accident late Tuesday is the countrys deadliest, according to local media. ", A passenger who escaped from the fifth carriage told Skai TV: "Windows were being smashed and people were screaming One of the windows caved in from the impact of iron from the other train.". Multiple cars derailed and at least three burst into flames after the collision, which took place just before midnight near the Vale of Tempe, a gorge that separates the regions of Thessaly and Macedonia. "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," spokesperson Vassilis Vathrakogiannis said. Several of the dead are believed to have been found in the restaurant area near the front of the passenger train. A teenage survivor who did not 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. Web19th century 1830s. Passengers killed, dozens injured in fiery Greece train crash. Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis office announced a three-day national mourning period. Police took their names as they arrived, in an effort to track anyone who might be missing. The cargo train was traveling from Thessaloniki to Larissa with a crew of two. We are pulling out people alive, injuredthere are dead," he said. 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. 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, Vassilis Varthakoyiannis, a spokesman for Greeces firefighting service, told the AP. Were sorry, this feature is currently unavailable. We will help them as much as we can, he said. The collision between a freight train and an oncoming passenger train occurred near Tempe early on Wednesday. Another passenger car appeared to be mangled as a crane slowly began lifting it. I'm still shaking," a22-year-old passenger named Angelos told AFP. There was panic in the carriage, you couldn't see around you because of the smoke.". "They were looking around, searching; they didn't know where they were. Another two people were detained for questioning. A teenage survivor who did not give his name saidhe had used a bag to break open the window of his carriage and escape. The passenger train was traveling from the capital, Athens, to Thessaloniki, Greeces second-largest city, when it and the cargo train collided. The festivities had been canceled the previous three years because of the coronavirus pandemic. Two rail officials were being questioned by police but had not been detained as of Wednesday morning. When search suggestions are available use up and down arrows to review and enter to select. Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis was to visit the scene later in the day. The collision between a freight and passenger train occurred near Tempe, some 380 kilometres north of Athens, and resulted in the derailment of several train cars. This year was the first time the festival, which precedes Lent, was celebrated in full since the start of the pandemic in 2020. 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. 24/7 coverage of breaking news and live events. The cause of the deadliest rail crash in Greece in decades remained unclear. "We are pulling out people alive, injured there are dead. The government announced three days of national mourning. Lawsuits claim it wrecked their teeth. Al Jazeera Centre for Public Liberties & Human Rights. He said it appears the crash was "mainly due to a tragic human error.. A passenger train collided with an oncoming freight train, causing a fiery crash on Wednesday in northern Greece. The trains crashed just before the Vale of Tempe, a gorge that separates the regions of Thessaly and Macedonia. 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. Several of the dead are believed to have been found in the restaurant area near the front of the passenger train. Greeces firefighting service said 57 people remained hospitalized late Wednesday, including six in intensive care. ', CBC's Journalistic Standards and Practices. The collision between freight and passenger trains occurred some 235 miles north of Athens and left several cars derailed. "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.". Two rail officials were being questioned by police but had not been detained. Were getting cranes to come in and special lifting equipment clear the debris and lift the rail cars. How much could a short, brisk daily walk lower your health risks? Smokes were seen from where the accident took place. Some were scouring the surrounding fields for survivors. Many of the passengers were young, said Apostolos Komnos, the head of the intensive care unit at the General Hospital of Larissa. Greek President Katerina Sakellaropoulou broke off an official visit to Moldova to visit the scene, laying flowers beside the wreckage. Survivors said several passengers were thrown through the windows of the train cars due to the impact. Transportation Minister Kostas Karamanlis resigned, saying he was stepping down as a basic indication of respect for the memory of the people who died so unfairly., Karamanlis said he had made every effort to improve a railway system that had been in a state that doesn't befit the 21st century., But, he added, When something this tragic happens it's impossible to continue as if nothing has happened.. (Video: The Washington Post). My hair is burning, he told ERT, without giving his name. The passenger train was carrying 342 travellers and 10 crew, while two crew were on the cargo train, according to Hellenic Train data. "Based on these facts, and the findings from the scene of the tragedy, the number is expected to be greater" than the current toll of 36. Others scoured the field with flashlights and checked underneath the wreckage. Several of the dead are believed to have been found in the restaurant car near the front of the passenger train. Essential reporting and analysis from correspondents around the world. A man who was trying to ascertain the fate of his daughter, who was on the train, saying he had a harrowing phone conversation with her before she was cut off. 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. Tuesday's was Greece's worst rail crash since 1968, when 34 people were killed in a crash in the southern Peloponnese region. Before dawn, rescuers searched through twisted, smoking wreckage for survivors. Rescuers wearing head lamps worked in thick smoke, pulling pieces of mangled metal from the cars to search for trapped people. "They were looking around, searching; they didn't know where they were.". Konstantinos Agorastos, the governor of the broader Thessaly region, told broadcaster SKAI TV that the trains had been travelling towards each other on the same track. "The trains were completely destroyed, both passenger and freight trains.". (AP) The incident took place in Tempe, near the north of Athens. We are pulling out people alive, injuredthere are dead. Associated Press Wed Mar 1 2023 - 06:16. 1837 Seaboard and Roanoke Railroad collision, Suffolk, Virginia; 3 killed plus dozens injured. Many were evacuated to Thessaloniki, where one woman ran to embrace her daughter as she disembarked from a bus with other survivors. 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. They were travelling at great speed and one (driver) didnt know the other was coming, he added. Greek President Katerina Sakellaropoulou said she was cutting short a visit to Moldova to return to Greece. "This is an indescribable tragedy," said government spokesman Giannis Oikonomou. There were many big pieces of steel, said Vassilis Polyzos, a local resident who said he was one of the first people on the scene. He said he was taking responsibility for "long-standing failures" in the country's transport network. At least 32 people are reported to have been killed and dozens injured after two trains collided in Greece. Sixty-six of the 85 injured people were hospitalised, with six of those in intensive care, a fire brigade official said. Now it's set for an overhaul. The trains crashed just before the Vale of Tempe, a gorge that separates the regions of Thessaly and Macedonia. The possible cause of the collision was not immediately clear. Man survives month lost in Amazon by eating insects, drinking urine. Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis called the collision of the passenger train and a freight train a horrific rail accident without precedent in our country, and pledged a full, independent investigation. Greek transport minister resigns after deadly crash between passenger train and freight train | CBC News Loaded. Most (of the bodies) are young people, she told ERT. There was a fire in the first cars and complete panic. Nearly 30 people were killed and 85 people were injured after a freight and passenger train collided with each other in Greece. People, naturally, were scared very scared, he said. The crash killed at least 26 people and injured at least 85 people. Copyright 2023 CBS Interactive Inc. All rights reserved. The pontiff sends the assurance of his prayers to everyone affected by this tragedy, the message said. Search and rescue efforts continue through thick smoke, per AP. Hospital units used to treat burn victims had been alerted in the area and dozens of ambulances were involved in the rescue effort. The region's governor said the collision was so violent that the first two carriages of the passenger train "no longer exist". I also wish for a speedy recovery for all the injured.. Harry and Meghan reportedly losing their U.K. royal residence. Multiple cars derailed and at least three burst into flames after the two trains ran into each other at high speed just before midnight Tuesday, near the town of Tempe in northern Greece. "We are living through a tragedy. The train from Athens to Thessaloniki was carrying 350 passengers, many of them students returning from raucous Carnival celebrations. They are in very bad condition. This service may include material from Agence France-Presse (AFP), APTN, Reuters, AAP, CNN and the BBC World Service which is copyright and cannot be reproduced. Its tragic. TEMPE, Greece -- Rescuers searched for survivors Wednesday in the mangled, burned-out wreckage of two trains that slammed into each other in northern Greece, killing at least 43 people and crumpling carriages into twisted steel knots in the country's worst-ever rail crash. He said some passengers escaped through windows but that after a few minutes, crew members were able to open the doors and let people out. The fire that raged in the train crash reached temperatures of 1300 degrees Celsius (2372 degrees Fahrenheit), the fire department said in a news release, and the heat from the fire caused delays in rescue and removal operations. 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. A volunteer rescue worker told ERT those on the scene were "living through a tragedy". Thessaloniki has a large student population. Rail operator Hellenic Train reported about 350 people had been on the passenger train, which left Athens at 7.22pm (19:22 GMT). Fire service spokesman Vassilis Varthakoyiannis said the evacuation was being carried out under very difficult conditions. A local TV channel reported that some people were still trapped earlier in the morning. A passenger train collided with an oncoming freight train in northern Greece early Wednesday morning. And this is very heavy for all of us and me personally., He called his stepping down the minimum sign of respect to the memory of the people who died so unjustly.. 2023 CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved. Others fought to free themselves after the passenger train buckled and slammedinto a field next to the tracks, some being burnt in the process. Dear President Biden: War in Ukraine isnt just about Ukraine, There can be no genuine budget discipline without entitlement reform, Two birds, one stone: 1619 Project vindicates capitalism. Some of the victims were university students, Health Minister Athanasios Plevris said in televised remarks outside the hospital. TikTok announced it was banning dangerous tanning content so why didn't it. "There was panic in the carriage, people were screaming," another young man told SKAI TV. The crash killed at least 26 people and injured at least 85 people. "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," spokesperson Vassilis Vathrakogiannis said. He said dazed and disoriented people were escaping out of the train's rear carriages as he arrived. At least 32 people have died after a passenger train collided with an oncoming freight train in northern Greece early on Wednesday. A passenger train collided with an oncoming freight train in northern Greece early on Wednesday, killing multiple people and injuring scores of others. Meanwhile, Greek President Katerina Sakellaropoulou said she was cutting short a visit to Moldova to return to Greece. "I can guarantee one thing: We will find out the causes of this tragedy and we will do all that's in our power so that something like this never happens again," Mitsotakis said. "There were many big pieces of steel," said Vassilis Polyzos, a local resident who was one of the first people on the scene. Kasulis Cho reported from Seoul, Francis from London and Parker from Washington. Costas Agorastos, the regional governor of the Thessaly area, told Greece's Skai Television the two trains collided head on at high speed. The stationmaster in the city of Larissa was arrested, Greek police said Wednesday. The passenger train was en route from Athens to Thessaloniki with 342 passengers and a crew of 10. This is an indescribable tragedy, government spokesman Giannis Oikonomou said, adding that 500 workers from emergency services were at the scene of the crash. 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. Greece's firefighting service said some 66 people were hospitalized, including six in intensive care. A passenger train collided with a freight train in Greece just before midnight on Feb. 28, killing 29 and injuring at least 85 people, authorities say. On Wednesday, rescuers turned to cranes and other heavy machinery to start moving large pieces of the trains, revealing more bodies and dismembered remains. He said 40 passengers had been taken to hospital with injuries, while about 250 were evacuated to Thessaloniki on buses. I can guarantee one thing: We will find out the causes of this tragedy and we will do all thats in our power so that something like this never happens again, Mitsotakis said, per the AP. Another woman, who was waiting there, said her child was not picking up the phone. Unfortunately, our efforts have not been sufficient to prevent such a bad incident. 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. Larissa's chief coroner, Roubini Leondari, said so far 43 bodies had been brought to her for examination, and would require DNA identification as they were largely disfigured. Pope Francis sent his condolences and passed along blessings to those injured and to emergency workers, according to the Vaticans news agency. Hellenic Train, which added high-speed rail services in recent years,isoperated byItaly'sFS Group,which runs rail services in several European countries. What appeared to be the third carriage lay atop the clumped remains of the first two. 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. Help keep family & friends informed by sharing this article, Marie has been charged with reprehensible crimes. They said others fought to free themselves after the passenger train buckled, slamming into a field near a gorge, about 380 kilometres north of Athens. March 1, 2023 11.14am. "The front section of the train was smashed we're getting cranes to come in and special lifting equipment to clear the debris and lift the rail cars," he said. "Our carriage didn't derail, but the ones in front did and were smashed," he said, visibly shaken. The Associated Press contributed to this report. On Wednesday, the government declared three days of national mourning. An aerial view after a train collision in northern Greece that killed at least 32 people. They did not release the mans name or the reason for the arrest, but the stationmaster is responsible for rail traffic on that stretch of the tracks. About 250 passengers who received minor injuries or were unharmed weretaken safely to Thessaloniki on busesearly on Wednesday morning. Audience Relations, CBC P.O. Others scoured the field with flashlights and checked underneath the wreckage. Two carriages of train in 'nightmare' crash 'no longer exist' - follow live updates. 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. "I've never seen anything like this in my entire life," AFP quoted one rescue worker as saying as he emerged from the wreckage. The crash killed at least 26 people and injured at least 85 people. Rescuers are searching wreckage for survivors after 26 people died and at least 85 were injured in a collision between a passenger train and a freight train in central Greece. The trains were completely destroyed, both passenger and freight trains.. Why, with todays technology that has existed for many years, should so many lives hang on a human hand?. Pope Francis offered his condolences to the families of the dead, in a message sent to the president of the Greek bishops conference on his behalf by the Vaticans secretary of state. A passenger train travelling from Athens to the northern city of Thessaloniki collided with a freight train outside Larissa just before midnight. A teenage survivor who did not give his name told Greek reporters as he got off one of the buses that just before the crash, he felt a strong braking and saw sparks and then there was a sudden stop. Local media said the train left Athens around 7.30 pm local time on Tuesday. Rescue workers with high-powered torches were searching through the wreckage for trapped passengers. Broadcaster SKAI showed footage of derailed carriages, thick plumes of smoke, badly damaged broken windows, and debris strewn across the road. "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. Costas Agorastos, the regional governor of the Thessaly area, told Greeces Skai Television the two trains collided head on at high speed. Closed Captioning and Described Video is available for many CBC shows offered on CBC Gem. "People, naturally, were scared very scared," he said. "Carriage one and two no longer exist, and the third has derailed," he said. Greek Transport Minister Kostas Karamanlis has since submitted his resignation over the incident. "We're getting cranes to come in and special lifting equipment clear the debris and lift the rail cars. Visiting the crash scene, Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said that the government must help the injured recover and identify the dead. 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. Greece's firefighting service said some 66 people were hospitalized, including six in intensive care. Patrick Quinn and David Rising contributed to this story from Bangkok. ", "It was a nightmare. Many of the passengers would have been returning home after a long holiday weekend marking the beginning of Greek Orthodox lent. The bodies are being transferred to the hospitals of Larissa in order to begin the process of recognition and identification, the Fire Brigade said in a statement, per ABC News. 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. Agorastos described the collision on state television as "very powerful" and said it was "a terrible night. Updated on: March 1, 2023 / 9:20 AM We were turning over in the wagon until we fell on our sides then there was panic, cables (everywhere) fire, the fire was immediate, as we were turning over we were being burned, fire was right and left.. 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. Rail operator Hellenic Train said the northbound passenger train from Athens to Thessaloniki, Greeces second-largest city, had about 350 passengers on board.