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Greece train collision kills 26 people, survivors say crash felt like earthquake

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DailyBiteMar 01, 2023 | 09:57

Greece train collision kills 26 people, survivors say crash felt like earthquake

Trains collide head-on in Greece killing multiple people. Photo: Reuters

Devastating pictures and videos are coming from Greece where two trains, a passenger train and a cargo train, collided head-on. At least 29 people have been killed and the casualties are expected to rise, while 85 people have been injured so far. 

The collision was very strong.
- Konstantinos Agorastos, Governor of the Thessaly region
  • He said that the first four carriages had derailed while the first two are "almost completely destroyed". 

What happened: 

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  • A passenger train carrying over 350 people (IC 62) collided head-on with a freight train shortly before midnight on Tuesday, February 28. 
  • The accident took place in central Greece, near the city of Larissa. 

  • The passenger train was travelling from Athens, the Greek capital city, to Thessaloniki and the freight train was travelling from Thessaloniki to Larissa. 
We just heard a bang… the (train) car started spinning, before ending up sideways when we managed to exit.
- A passenger told local media
  • Some 150 firefighters with 17 vehicles and 40 ambulances are engaged in rescue operations. Rescue personnel with torches are searching through carriages to find survivors. 
It was 10 nightmarish seconds with fire, you couldn't see much from the smoke.
- Passenger (CNN)
  • Some surviving passengers described that the collision felt like an earthquake. 
  • It is not yet known why the trains collided. 

In 2017, a train in Greece, travelling from Athens ploughed through a house near the city of Thessaloniki after being derailed, killing three people. 

Last updated: March 01, 2023 | 10:27
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