Greek Transport Minister Resigns Over Train Crash; 36 Dead

TEMPE, Greece — Rescuers combed the burned-out wreckage of two trains that collided in northern Greece, killing at least 36 people and crumpling several carriages into twisted steel knots.

Kostas Karamanlis, the Transport Minister, resigned, saying it was his “duty” to do so “as a basic indication of respect for the memory of the people who died so unfairly.”

The cause of the crash near the Greek Vale of Tempe, a river valley about 380 kilometers (235 miles) north of Athens, was not immediately clear, but the stationmaster was arrested Wednesday in the nearby city of Larissa. His identity has yet to be revealed by the police. Two more people have been arrested for questioning.

It’s unclear how fast the passenger and freight train were traveling when they collided just before midnight Tuesday, but survivors said the impact threw several passengers through train cars’ windows. According to state broadcaster ERT, rescuers discovered some victims’ bodies 30-40 meters (100-130 feet) from the impact site.

THE GREEK TRAIN CRASH WAS LIKE AN EXPLOSION, SAY PASSENGERS.

A teen survivor who did not want to be identified told reporters that he felt sudden braking and saw sparks just before the crash, and then there was a sudden stop.

“Our carriage did not derail, but the ones ahead of us did and were smashed,” he said, visibly shaken. He used a bag to break his car window, the fourth, and escape.

Stefanos Gogakos, who was in a rear carriage, described the crash as “explosive,” He saw flames at the front of the train.

“The windows’ glass shattered and fell on top of us,” he told ERT. “With a jolt, my head hit the carriage’s roof. Because of the carriage’s smoke, some people began climbing through the windows. The doors were closed, but after a few minutes, train personnel opened them, and we could exit.”

Several cars derailed, and at least one caught fire.

“Temperatures reached 1,300 degrees Celsius (2,372 Fahrenheit), making it even more difficult to identify the people in it,” said Vassilis Varthakoyiannis, a fire service spokesperson.

WRECKAGE COMPLICATES RESCUE Efforts For Greeks

On Wednesday, rescuers began moving large pieces of the trains with cranes and other heavy machinery, revealing more bodies and dismembered remains.

“There were many large pieces of steel,” said Vassilis Polyzos, a local who claimed to be one of the first on the scene. “Both passenger and freight trains were destroyed.”

Rescuer Lazaros Sarianidis told ERT that crews were working “very carefully” to disentangle steel, sheet metal, and other materials that had become entangled due to the crash. “It will take a long time,” Sarianidis predicted.

According to Greece’s fire department, 76 people were hospitalized, six in critical condition.

More than 200 people who were unharmed or had minor injuries were transported by bus to Thessaloniki, 130 kilometers (80 miles) north. As they arrived, police took their names to locate anyone missing.

According to Greek Railroad Workers Union President Yannis Nitsas, eight rail employees were killed in the crash, including the two drivers of the freight train and the two drivers of the passenger train.

FROM CARNIVAL TO MOURNING IN GREECE

According to officials, 350 people aboard the Greek passenger train were students returning from Greece’s raucous Carnival. This year marked the first time since the pandemic began in 2020 that the festival, which precedes Lent, was celebrated in its entirety.

From Wednesday, the government declared three days of national mourning, and flags flew at half-staff outside all European Commission buildings in Brussels.

During a visit to the accident site, Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis stated that the government must assist the injured and identify the deceased.

“I can guarantee you one thing: We will investigate the causes of this tragedy and do everything in our power to ensure that something like this never happens again,” Mitsotakis said.

Greek President Katerina Sakellaropoulou interrupted her official visit to Moldova to visit the scene, where she laid flowers beside the wreckage.

In a message sent to the president of the Greek bishops conference on his behalf by the Vatican’s secretary of state, Pope Francis expressed his condolences to the families of the deceased.

The pope “sends the assurance of his prayers to everyone affected by this tragedy,” according to the message.

SOURCE – (AP)