Last Update: March 01, 2023, 08:16 AM IST
Firefighters work at the scene of an accident where two trains collided near the city of Larissa, Greece, March 1, 2023. Reuters/Thanos Floulis
Police, 40 firefighters and around 30 ambulances were dispatched to the scene, launching a major emergency response.
At least 26 people have been killed and 85 injured after two trains collided outside the Greek city of Larissa.
According to The Guardian, a passenger train traveling from the northern city of Athens to Thessaloniki and a freight train traveling from Thessaloniki to Larissa collided outside the central Greek city, said Konstantinos Agorastos, governor of the Thessaly region.
Seventy-five people were injured and taken to nearby hospitals.
The spokesman confirmed that following a collision between two trains, three coaches derailed near the city of Larissa in the center of the country – one carrying freight and another carrying 350 passengers.
According to public television station ERT, a car caught fire and several people were trapped inside.
Local media outlet Onlarisa reported that a major emergency response was launched, with police, 40 firefighters and around 30 ambulances dispatched to the scene.
“The evacuation process is ongoing and is being carried out in very difficult conditions due to the seriousness of the collision between the two trains,” said Vassilis Varthkoyanis, a spokesman for the fire service.
About 250 passengers were safely evacuated to Thessaloniki in buses. However, the number of injured and dead is expected to increase.
An emergency government meeting is in the works. A passenger named Lajos told the newspaper Protothema that the experience was “very shocking”.
He said, “I was not hurt, but I was covered in the blood of those who were injured near me.”
(with inputs from agencies)
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