Greece was rocked by a devastating train collision in the northern part of the country, claiming the lives of at least 40 people and injuring 85 more. Smoke could be seen coming from the wreckage and a long line of rescue vehicles were present at the scene. The passenger train, carrying over 350 individuals, had been travelling from Athens to Thessaloniki when it collided with a freight train in the vicinity of Tempi, close to the city of Larissa in central Greece.
Vassilis Varthakogiannis, a spokesperson for the Greek Fire Service, stated that ambulances from multiple towns had been called in to the nightmarish and panic-filled scene. To aid the survivors, buses transported them to Thessaloniki and hospital units specialized in burns treatment were put on alert.
Ioannis Artopoios, a representative of the Greek Fire Service, revealed that search and rescue operations were underway and the death toll was expected to rise. The Greek government declared that they would take all necessary steps to guarantee the safety of train passengers in the future, yet the cause of the collision remains uncertain.
This tragedy serves as a reminder of the importance of safety measures, as well as further investigations into the causes of such accidents.