At least 40 people have been killed and 85 injured in a train crash in Greece.
A passenger train with 350 passengers collided head-on with a freight train in the northern part of the country.
Several carriages derailed and three carriages burst into flames after the collision, which happened near the small town of Tempe, about 380km north of Athens.
The passenger train was traveling from Athens to Thessaloniki. The hospital in the nearby large city of Larisa reports that at least 25 people have received very serious injuries, Kathimerini reported.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs reported that two Bulgarian citizens – a man and a woman – were injured in the accident. They are admitted to a hospital in Thessaloniki.
Later, the head of the station in Larissa was arrested. According to experts, human error led to the tragedy.
Three days of mourning have been announced in Greece.
Firefighters are still searching for people in the wreckage of the passenger train after information about 18 people missing.
Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis has guaranteed a full and objective investigation into the causes of the crash.
Dozens of people donated blood for the injured in the hospital in the city of Larisa amid an appeal from doctors.
Survivors say that several passengers were thrown out of the windows of the carriages on impact.
Others struggled to free themselves after the passenger train overturned in a field next to the tracks.
The passengers, who suffered minor injuries or were unharmed, were transported by bus to Thessaloniki, which is 130 km to the north.
“The front of the train was smashed. … Cranes and special lifting equipment had to come in to clear the debris and lift the carriages. There is debris strewn all around the crash site.” says Kostas Agorastos, who is the regional governor of the Thessaly region.
Rescuers have contacted the army to provide assistance. About 150 firefighters and 40 ambulances arrived at the scene of the accident, the fire department said.
“There was panic. For 10, 15 seconds it was chaos. Overturning, fires, hanging cables, broken windows, people screaming, trapped.” one of the passengers on the train, Stergios Menenis, told the BBC.
Hellenic Train is operated by the Italian FS Group, which operates rail services in several European countries.
