Status: 03/01/2023 10:33 a.m
At least 36 people were killed and more than 80 injured in a head-on collision between two trains in Greece. Several wagons caught fire. The accident happened regarding 350 kilometers north of Athens.
According to rescue workers, at least 36 people died and more than 80 were injured in a train accident in Greece. A collision between a passenger train and a freight train occurred on the route between Athens and Thessaloniki. Several wagons derailed and some caught fire.
“As of now, we are talking regarding 38 fatalities”, Moritz Pompl, ARD Rome, currently Athens, on the train accident in Greece
tagesschau24 10:00 a.m., March 1, 2023
Fire department spokesman Vassilis Varthakogiannis said the search for survivors was continuing. The evacuation of passengers takes place in very difficult conditions, since the collision of the two trains was very serious. “Most of the injured have head injuries, broken pelvises, arms and legs. Unfortunately, there are numerous people who are still in the rubble,” a member of a rescue team told reporters at the scene. A total of 150 emergency services and 40 ambulances have been deployed so far. Cranes were also sent to the scene of the accident.
Rescuers continue to search for victims of train crash in Greece
Tagesschau 09:00 a.m., March 1st, 2023
Panic in their Waggons
According to the governor of the Thessaly region, Konstantinos Agorastos, the two trains collided head-on. The first two wagons were “almost completely destroyed” by the impact. The first television pictures showed several derailed wagons with broken windows, from which thick clouds of smoke were coming. Debris lay on the street. In the wagons, rescue workers searched for trapped passengers with torches.
“There was panic in the wagons, people were screaming,” said a young man who was evacuated to a nearby bridge. About 250 passengers were brought to Thessaloniki by bus, said Governor Agorastos. Greek media speak of a scene like following a plane crash. It is the worst disaster in the history of Greek railways.
The accident happened just before midnight on the busiest Greek railway line near the city of Larissa.
Image: ARD current
Route modernized in recent years
The accident happened just before midnight on the busiest Greek railway line near the city of Larissa. According to the Greek railway company, there were regarding 350 passengers and 20 railway workers in the passenger train. The train, the Intercity 62, started at 7:22 p.m. in Athens towards Thessaloniki.
The cause of the accident is still unclear. Although the route between Athens and Thessaloniki has two lanes, the two trains were traveling on one track. The railway chief responsible for the affected Athens-Thessaloniki route had been arrested, reported state television. Other railroad workers and technicians would be questioned. The traffic authority of the nearby city of Larissa has started investigations into the cause of the accident. Many connecting railway lines were closed to train traffic for the time being.
Traffic control problems
The route has been modernized in recent years. The Greek railways (Hellenic Train) are operated by the Italian state railway Ferrovie dello Stato Italiano (FS).
Railway workers said on the Greek broadcaster Real FM that, despite the modernization, there were significant problems with the electrical coordination of traffic control. “We’re driving from one section of the line to another by radio like in the old days. The station managers give us the green light,” said Kostas Genidounias, president of the train drivers’ union, on state radio. He was unable to say why this is happening and why no modern control system works.
Von der Leyen: “EU stands by Greece”
EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen was shocked by the serious train accident. “All of Europe mourns with you,” von der Leyen wrote on Twitter. Her thoughts are with the people of Greece. The German politician wished the injured a speedy recovery. In Greek, von der Leyen added that the EU was on Greece’s side.
The President of the European Parliament, Roberta Metsola, was also deeply saddened. She sent her condolences to the victims, their families and friends on Twitter and thanked the emergency services and medical staff. “Our thoughts are with the people of Greece following this tragic event.”
EU Council President Charles Michel made a similar statement. He was shocked by the news from Greece, his thoughts are with the people of Greece. The Greek government has ordered three days of national mourning.
Train crash kills at least 32 in Greece
Jörg Seisselberg, ARD Rome, March 1, 2023 07:01 a.m
