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| Greece train crash: What we know so far | Greece train crash: What we know so far |
| (32 minutes later) | |
| Two trains have collided in northern Greece, killing at least 36 people and injuring dozens of others. Here's what we know about the incident so far. | Two trains have collided in northern Greece, killing at least 36 people and injuring dozens of others. Here's what we know about the incident so far. |
| What happened? | What happened? |
| A passenger service carrying some 350 people crashed with a freight train shortly after leaving Larissa just before midnight on Tuesday. | A passenger service carrying some 350 people crashed with a freight train shortly after leaving Larissa just before midnight on Tuesday. |
| The incident happened as the passenger train emerged from a tunnel in the municipality of Tempi. | The incident happened as the passenger train emerged from a tunnel in the municipality of Tempi. |
| The first four carriages of the passenger train were derailed, and the first two caught fire and were "almost completely destroyed", Thessaly regional governor Kostas Agorastos says. | The first four carriages of the passenger train were derailed, and the first two caught fire and were "almost completely destroyed", Thessaly regional governor Kostas Agorastos says. |
| How many casualties were there? | How many casualties were there? |
| The exact number of casualties is unclear, but Greek news reports say at least 36 people have died and dozens more have been injured, some of them seriously. | The exact number of casualties is unclear, but Greek news reports say at least 36 people have died and dozens more have been injured, some of them seriously. |
| A report by the Greek public broadcaster ERT said members of the passenger train's crew were among the dead. It said most of the casualties had been recovered from the third carriage, which was derailed. | A report by the Greek public broadcaster ERT said members of the passenger train's crew were among the dead. It said most of the casualties had been recovered from the third carriage, which was derailed. |
| It smells like burning metal and plastic - BBC reporter sends video from scene of fatal crash | It smells like burning metal and plastic - BBC reporter sends video from scene of fatal crash |
| It smells like burning metal and plastic - BBC reporter sends video from scene of fatal crash | It smells like burning metal and plastic - BBC reporter sends video from scene of fatal crash |
| A search is continuing of the wreckage of the first two carriages involving 150 firefighters, using 17 vehicles and four cranes. Forty ambulances are on the scene. | A search is continuing of the wreckage of the first two carriages involving 150 firefighters, using 17 vehicles and four cranes. Forty ambulances are on the scene. |
| Live updates on Greece train crash | Live updates on Greece train crash |
| Elli Kasholi, a journalist who is at the scene told the BBC that 20-25 people are still missing after the crash but some of these may be people who left the scene without being accounted for. | Elli Kasholi, a journalist who is at the scene told the BBC that 20-25 people are still missing after the crash but some of these may be people who left the scene without being accounted for. |
| Who was on the train? | Who was on the train? |
| The passenger train involved was about two-thirds full with many young people, Reuters news agency reports, citing eyewitnesses. | The passenger train involved was about two-thirds full with many young people, Reuters news agency reports, citing eyewitnesses. |
| Dozens of rescued passengers were then transported to the Thessaloniki Railway Station | Dozens of rescued passengers were then transported to the Thessaloniki Railway Station |
| It was travelling from Athens to Thessaloniki, which has a sizeable student population, and it's believed many would have been returning there after a holiday for Greek Orthodox lent. | It was travelling from Athens to Thessaloniki, which has a sizeable student population, and it's believed many would have been returning there after a holiday for Greek Orthodox lent. |
| The Greek fire department has said identifying people is proving "very difficult" because temperatures exceeded 1,300C where the fire broke out. | The Greek fire department has said identifying people is proving "very difficult" because temperatures exceeded 1,300C where the fire broke out. |
| Thessaloniki's student associations are calling for a full investigation with no "cover-up". | Thessaloniki's student associations are calling for a full investigation with no "cover-up". |
| The freight train was heading from Thessaloniki to Larissa. | The freight train was heading from Thessaloniki to Larissa. |
| What went wrong? | What went wrong? |
| It is still unclear what caused the crash but the regional governor says the two services were running on the same track. | It is still unclear what caused the crash but the regional governor says the two services were running on the same track. |
| A local station master, based at Larissa which the passenger train had passed through, has been arrested. Police say the 59-year-old has been charged with manslaughter by negligence and grievous bodily harm by negligence. | A local station master, based at Larissa which the passenger train had passed through, has been arrested. Police say the 59-year-old has been charged with manslaughter by negligence and grievous bodily harm by negligence. |
| The station master, who is in charge of signalling, denies wrongdoing and has blamed the accident on a possible technical failure. | The station master, who is in charge of signalling, denies wrongdoing and has blamed the accident on a possible technical failure. |
| What have railway workers said? | |
| The head of the union that represents workers from Greece's Hellenic Railways Organisation (OSE) says the initial conclusion from an investigation into the crash is that it happened due to human error. | |
| However, according to local media, Nikos Tsikalakis also says that more than one factor is needed for such an incident to happen and the complete picture of circumstances is not yet known. | |
| In an interview with Radio ENA, he referenced a lack of workers in the rail network - saying that while there should be more than 2,000 employees nationally, there are currently only 750. | |
| Workers also say there have been long-running problems with the electronic systems that are supposed to warn drivers of danger ahead. | |
| "Nothing works. Everything happens manually throughout the Athens-Thessaloniki network. Neither the indicators, nor the traffic lights, nor the electronic traffic control work," train drivers' association president Kostas Genidounias told ERT. | "Nothing works. Everything happens manually throughout the Athens-Thessaloniki network. Neither the indicators, nor the traffic lights, nor the electronic traffic control work," train drivers' association president Kostas Genidounias told ERT. |
| What have survivors said? | |
| Some survivors have described the moment the trains collided as like an earthquake. | Some survivors have described the moment the trains collided as like an earthquake. |
| Survivors have told of panic in the carriages as the trains collided | |
| "We heard a big bang," said 28-year-old passenger Stergios Minenis, who jumped to safety from the wreckage. | "We heard a big bang," said 28-year-old passenger Stergios Minenis, who jumped to safety from the wreckage. |
| "We were turning over in the carriage until we fell on our sides and until the commotion stopped. Then there was panic. Cables, fire. The fire was immediate. As we were turning over we were being burned. Fire was right and left," Mr Minenis was quoted as saying by Reuters. | "We were turning over in the carriage until we fell on our sides and until the commotion stopped. Then there was panic. Cables, fire. The fire was immediate. As we were turning over we were being burned. Fire was right and left," Mr Minenis was quoted as saying by Reuters. |
| "For 10, 15 seconds it was chaos. Tumbling over, fires, cables hanging, broken windows, people screaming, people trapped." | "For 10, 15 seconds it was chaos. Tumbling over, fires, cables hanging, broken windows, people screaming, people trapped." |
| Another passenger named Lazos told the newspaper Protothema: "I wasn't hurt, but I was stained with blood from other people who were injured near me." | Another passenger named Lazos told the newspaper Protothema: "I wasn't hurt, but I was stained with blood from other people who were injured near me." |
| What has been the official response? | |
| The Greek government has declared three days of national mourning and said the cost of the victims' funerals would be paid for from the public purse. | |
| The transport minister has resigned as a "sign of respect" for the people who had died. Kostas Karamanlis said he was taking responsibility for the government's failure to modernise the country's railways in the three-and-a-half years it had been in power. | |
| Visiting the accident scene on Wednesday, Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis vowed to find out what happened and ensure it never happened again. | |
| Greek President Katerina Sakellaropoulou broke off an official visit to Moldova to visit the scene, laying flowers beside the wreckage. | |
| Related Topics | Related Topics |
| Greece | Greece |