ATHENS (GREECE) (ITALPRESS/MNA) – At least 40 people died and 130 more are injured, six in intensive care, as two trains collided head on late on Tuesday evening in northern Greece. Around 25 people are still missing but some may be people who left the scene.
Rescue workers spent the night trying to rescue passengers who were on the passenger train when it crashed into a merchant train near the city of Larissa. The passenger train was heading to Thessaloniki, departed from Athens whille the freight train with which it collided was heading from Thessaloniki to Larissa.
The station master of Larissa has been arrested and has been charged with manslaughter by negligence. The 59-year-old has also been charged with grievous bodily harm by negligence. The station master, who is in charge of signalling, denies any wrongdoing and has blamed the accident on a possible technical failure.
Around 150 firefighters and 40 ambulances were on the scene and according to people on the site, the collision was so severe that the two first carriages just disappeared.
There were more than 350 people on the passenger train. One of the passengers said there was chaos, an incredibly shocking experience. People who were evacuated described the scene with carriages on fire and passengers unable to escape.
The President of Greece, Katerina Sakellaropoulou, has cut short an official visit to Moldova to visit the site of the crash. The Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said that Greece will enter a three day period of mourning. “We are facing an unimaginable tragedy, we mourn mainly young people.” All public celebrations have been cancelled and flags on public buildings are flying at half mast until Friday.
This is the worst train accident that has ever occurred in Greece.

– photo Freepik –

(ITALPRESS).

Source: medNews