Train collision in Greece, at least 32 people killed

(Patria) - At least 32 people were killed and 85 injured in a collision between a freight train and a modern express train on the night line near the city of Larissa in Greece, the BBC reported. A major rescue operation is underway.

According to initial information, in the Tempi mountain valley, near the city of Larissa, three carriages overturned and caught fire after the collision, and several more derailed.
Passengers are trapped in the wreckage, public television ERT reported.

Police, 150 firefighters, and about 40 ambulances from nearby towns are on the scene, the BBC reports.

According to the same source, two hospitals in Larissa are ready to receive many injured. Military hospitals in Athens and Thessaloniki are on standby.

Government officials said the army had been called in to help, the AP agency reported.

Media report that there were more than 350 people on the passenger train, and there are children among the injured. The train was traveling between Athens and Thessaloniki.

The cause of the train collision is not yet clear, as it is a modern double-track railway. Therefore, it is possible that the accident is a result of human error – if both trains were on the same track, or if one train derailed on one track and was hit by another train on the adjacent track, Greek television SKAI reports.