The death toll rises to 38
following the head-on collision between a passenger and a freight train that took place overnight near the Greek city of Larissa, but Greek Transport Minister Kostas Karamanlis said the
exact number of victims was not yet known
.
Speaking from the scene of the collision, Karamanlis added that it was a "very difficult search and rescue operation".
"I would like us to remain calm and remain committed to doing everything possible to investigate the causes and not sweep anything under the carpet," he reiterated.
There are about 70 wounded hospitalized, of which six are in intensive care.
The station master of Larissa was arrested as part of the investigation
.
According to the story of a Greek journalist from the BBC,
the trains were traveling at great speed
because they didn't know that the other was coming and
the impact was so severe that "nothing is left of the first two carriages"
after the accident.
Rescue teams are now trying to move the wreckage of the carriages off the tracks, but it is very difficult.
“The collision was so bad that the first two carriages simply disappeared. The mayor of the city near the accident said that nothing was left of the first two carriages,” the reporter says.
ANSA Agency
Chaos and fear, a survivor's tale
'We broke the windows and went out'
Many university students aboard
the train, according to what was reported by the mayor of Tempé, Yorgos Manolis.
They were returning to Thessaloniki after an extended weekend due to Carnival in Greece.
The passenger train was in fact traveling from Athens to Thessaloniki, the second largest city in Greece, while the freight train was traveling in the opposite direction.
According to the Greek emergency services.
The video of the rescuers at work
The firefighters explained that three carriages derailed in Larissa, in the center of the country, after the collision between the freight train and a convoy carrying 350 passengers.
One of the carriages caught fire and several people would have been trapped, according to the ERT TV channel.
Regional governor Kostas Agorastos said that "more than 250 passengers were transferred by bus to Thessaloniki. Unfortunately - he added - the number of injured and dead is likely to be high".
ANSA Agency
Hellenic Train, the Greek railway company
Since 2017 it has been controlled by Ferrovie dello Stato
According to Greek media,
it is the "worst train accident the country has ever known"
.
About 150 firefighters and 40 ambulances were mobilized, according to rescuers, as well as cranes and mechanics to try to clear the debris and lift the overturned carriages.
"I've never seen anything like it in my life. It's tragic. Five hours later, we still find bodies," said a rescuer working at the crash site.
THE PHOTOS
ANSA. it
The images of the emergency services at the scene of the accident - Close-up
"My thoughts are with the Greek people after the terrible train crash that claimed so many lives last night near Larissa. All of Europe mourns with you. I also wish a speedy recovery to all those injured," he wrote on Twitter. the president of the European Commission
Ursula von der Leyen
, adding in Greek "we are beside you".
Also tweeted by the president of the European Parliament Roberta Metsola: "I am deeply saddened by the terrible train accident that took place near Larissa, in Greece - she wrote -. My sincere condolences to all the victims, their families and their friends. I am grateful to all the rescuers and medical personnel present at the scene. Our thoughts are with the Greek people after this tragic event".