LARISSA, GREECE — A passenger train heading from Athens to Thessaloniki collided head-on with a cargo train travelling from the opposite direction outside the city of Larissa, Greece, on Tuesday night.
The crash resulted in the death of at least 32 people, with dozens more injured. Some of the passenger carriages exploded in flames due to the impact of the crash.
Footage doing rounds on social media showed overturned cargo containers and crash debris strewn across a nearby road. Rescue workers with high-powered torches were searching through the wreckage for trapped passengers, with some scouring surrounding fields for survivors.
The accident occurred when the two trains collided while travelling on the same track at high speeds.
The cause of the accident is not yet known. Rail operator Hellenic Train reported about 350 people had been on the train at the time of the accident.
The train had reportedly had onboard about 350 passengers who left Athens at about 7.30pm (17:30 GMT).
According to Reuters news agency, the governor of Thessaly region, Konstantinos Agorastos, has confirmed that the two trains that collided in central Greece were on the same track, and were travelling at high speed. The crash involved a cargo train and an intercity passenger train en route from Athens to Thessaloniki, outside the city of Larissa.
He also stated that the drivers of the two trains were not aware of each other’s presence on the track.