Passenger and cargo trains have collided in Greece’s municipality of Tempi, leaving at least 16 people dead and 85 0 injured, Hellenic Fire Service spokesperson Vassilis Vartakoyannis said on Wednesday.
The accident occurred around midnight at the Evangelismos station near the city of Larissa, over 200 kilometers (124 miles) northwest of Athens, under unknown circumstances. The collision caused a fire; three train cars derailed.
“The operation to unblock the people continues. So far, 16 people have died, and 85 people have been injured,” Vartakoyannis said in a televised appearance on the Hellenic Broadcasting Corporation (ERT).
The spokesman said 40 fire engines and 30 ambulances had been sent to the site. Wounded were being delivered to hospitals in Larissa and Katerini, he said, adding that military hospitals in Athens and Thessaloniki were put on alert to receive the wounded.
Greek Health Minister Thanos Plevris was on his way to the hospitals, while Climate Crisis and Civil Protection Minister Christos Stylianides and Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis were being constantly updated on the accident, according to ERT.
According to ERT, some 350 people were aboard the passenger train traveling from Athens to Thessaloniki.
According to the website of the Hellenic Train company, there were delays in the departure of trains on Tuesday. The Athens-Thessaloniki train left with a delay of 48 minutes, while the Thessaloniki-Athens train was delayed by 70 minutes.
