People were trapped inside upturned cars after a goods train and passenger train collided in Greece, setting the compartments on fire.
A head-on collision between two trains in northeastern Greece has resulted in at least 36 fatalities and numerous injuries. One of the trains had about 350 passengers on board when it crashed. Several people have been extracted from the rubble by the on-site rescuers.
The incident happened on Wednesday just after midnight close to the town of Tempe, which is 233 kilometres (144 miles) north of Athens and close to Greece’s eastern shore.
The Greek Fire Department’s most recent statistics show that there have been 36 fatalities, 66 hospitalisations, and six reported intensive care unit admissions.
At least 25 of those hurt are claimed to be in “severe condition,” according to state-run media outlet ERT News, which also said that several railway cars derailed as a result of the crash.
Firefighters are currently concentrating on the train’s first three carriages, according to Greek officials.
“The collision was really forceful. It’s a bad night right now. Thessaly region regional governor Costas Agorastos told state media that it was difficult to convey the scene and that some 250 survivors had been transported to Thessaloniki on buses.
According to passengers who spoke with local media, the train experienced a “sharp jolt” before it lost power, forcing scared passengers to break windows to escape upturned railcars.
Local media said that numerous hospitals in the neighbouring Larissa are now operating on a “emergency basis” and that thirty ambulances reportedly arrived at the spot to treat the wounded. The police and military also sent rescue teams as fire workers fought a fire that started in some of the automobiles.
