At least twenty-six people have been killed and 85 injured after two trains collided near the town of Tempe in central Greece, the fire brigade said.
The two trains – a passenger train travelling from Athens to the northern city of Thessaloniki, and a cargo train from Thessaloniki to Larissa, collided head-on outside the central Greek city, Konstantinos Agorastos, the governor of the Thessaly region, told local media.
“The collision was very strong,” he said, adding that the first four carriages had derailed, while the first two were “almost completely destroyed”.
Agorastos said about 250 passengers were evacuated safely to Thessaloniki on buses.
Multiple cars derailed and at least three burst into flame after the collision about 380 kilometers north of Athens. Hospital officials in the nearby city of Larissa said at least 25 people had serious injuries.
Rail operator Hellenic Train said the northbound passenger train from Athens to Thessaloniki had about 350 passengers on board when the collision occurred.
Broadcaster SKAI showed footage of derailed carriages, badly damaged with broken windows amid thick plumes of smoke, as well as debris strewn across the road. Rescue workers were seen carrying torches in carriages looking for trapped passengers.
“There was panic in the carriage, people were screaming,” a young man who was evacuated to a nearby bridge told SKAI TV.
“It was like an earthquake,” Angelos Tsiamouras, another passenger, told ERT.
Reuters and Associated Press contributed to this article
