Trains collide in Greece: 36 killed, dozens injured

The two trains, a passenger train traveling from Athens to Thessaloniki and a cargo train from Thessaloniki to Larissa — collided near the central city of Larissa. The crash occurred as the passenger train emerged from a tunnel.

Derailed carriages, badly damaged with broken windows and thick plumes of smoke, could be seen on the site. One passenger carriage stood on its side at almost 90 degrees from the rest of the wrecked train, with other derailed carriages tilting precariously.

The head of emergency unit in Larissa hospital Apostolos Komnos said most of the dead were young people, in their 20s. Many of the passengers would have been returning home after a long holiday weekend marking the beginning of Greek Orthodox lent. Thessaloniki has a large student population.

The government declared three days of national mourning, from Wednesday to Friday, with flags flying at half-mast in a tribute to the victims of the crash. Our priority now is treating the injured, searching and finding missing people in the debris and offering psychological support to the relatives of the victims, government spokesman Giannis Oikonomou said.

Police temporarily detained the station master in Larissa and at least three witnesses have been questioned, including a representative for Hellenic Train, a police official said. Greece's ageing railway system is in need of modernising, with many trains travelling on single tracks and signalling and automatic control systems still to be installed in many areas.

In the morning, cranes were lifting derailed carriages, as rescuer scoured through the wreckage. Overnight, rescue workers had been carrying torches in carriages looking for trapped passengers.

The cargo train had been travelling from Thessaloniki to Larissa. Local media said the train left Athens around 7.30 pm (0530 GMT). The fire brigade said it was informed of the accident shortly before midnight.

Fire brigade spokesperson Vassilis Varthakogiannis said the evacuation of passengers took place in very 'difficult conditions given the severity of the collision of the two trains.' We are living through a tragedy. We are pulling out people alive, injured...there are dead, he said.