Train collision in Greece, 36 dead and 85 injured: rescuers at work

By Cristiano Antonino On Mar 1, 2023

Greece, the accident occurred during the night between a goods train and a passenger train

‘It is the worst railway disaster the country has ever known’, is how the media described the accident in Greece between a goods train and a passenger train travelling from Athens to Thessaloniki

At the moment there are 36 confirmed dead and 85 injured, many of whom are in a serious condition.

‘Something never seen before’ for the rescuers who have been working for hours in Greece among the wagons, piled up one on top of the other

More than 40 ambulances and 150 fire brigades arrived on the scene.

After the collision, one of the carriages of the passenger train caught fire and several people were trapped.

The dynamics of the incident are still to be clarified. According to Yannis Ditsas, president of the Panelennica Federation of Holiday Workers, heard by the broadcaster Ert, it remains to be ascertained whether the accident was caused by ‘an error’ made by controllers on the ground or on board a train. The death toll, Ditsas added, would have been even higher if the collision had occurred inside one of the tunnels in the vicinity, also on the Athens-Thessaloniki route.

According to regional governor Kostas Agorastos, ‘more than 250 passengers were transferred by bus to Thessaloniki. Unfortunately, the number of injured and dead is likely to be high’.

In the meantime, the stationmaster of Larissa has been arrested.