Image from Twitter by Hindustan Times
57 KILLED in train accident in Greece
A fire services spokesman confirmed that three carriages skipped the tracks just before midnight after the trains.
Image from Twitter by Hindustan Times
At 57 people were killed after a collision between two trains caused a derailment near the Greek city of Larissa late on Tuesday night.
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FIRE SERVICES SPOKESPERSON ON THE ACCIDENT
A fire services spokesman confirmed that three carriages skipped the tracks just before midnight after the trains. One was for cargo and the other was carrying 350 passengers.
The two trains collided about along the route between Athens and Thessaloniki.
“At least 32 people have been found dead so far,” spokesman Vassilis Vathrakogiannis said at a press conference, adding that efforts to rescue people still trapped were ongoing.
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85 PASSENGERS INJURED
“Eighty-five people were injured and transported to nearby hospitals.” Vathrakogiannis added that “194 people have been transferred by bus to Thessaloniki, of whom 26 were transported to hospitals”.
According to Greek media, this is the “worst train accident that Greece has ever known”. About 150 firefighters and 40 ambulances were called on for response, according to the Greek emergency services.
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“I’ve never seen anything like this in my entire life. It’s tragic. Five hours later, we are finding bodies,” said an exhausted rescuer emerging from the wreckage where he and his team were working.
One train carriage was completely crushed, making the rescuers’ work particularly difficult. Vathrakogiannis said that the majority of passengers have been taken to safety. According to the public television station ERT, one of the train cars caught fire after the collision, and several people were trapped inside.
EMERGENCY GOVERNMENT MEETING ORGANISED AFTER TRAIN CRASH
An emergency government meeting was organised after the crash, and Greek health minister Thanos Plevris has gone to the scene, while interior minister Takis Theodorikakos supervises the response from a crisis management centre.
The two hospitals near Larissa have been accommodating the many injured, according to the fire services. Military hospitals in Thessaloniki and Athens are also “on alert” in case they are needed.
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