Greek journalists protest over train crash

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ABOUT THE TRAIN CRASH

At 57 people were killed after a collision between two trains caused a derailment near the Greek city of Larissa.

A fire services spokesman confirmed that three carriages skipped the tracks just before midnight after the trains. One was for cargo and the other was carrying 350 passengers. The two trains collided about along the route between Athens and Thessaloniki.

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“At least 32 people have been found dead so far,” spokesman Vassilis Vathrakogiannis said at a press conference, adding that efforts to rescue people still trapped were still ongoing at the time.

“Eighty-five people were injured and transported to nearby hospitals.” Vathrakogiannis added that “194 people have been transferred by bus to Thessaloniki, of whom 26 were transported to hospitals”.

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GREEK JOURNALISTS ON THE CRASH

According to Greek media, this is the “worst train accident that Greece has ever known”. About 150 firefighters and 40 ambulances were called on for response, according to the Greek emergency services.

One train carriage was completely crushed, making the rescuers’ work particularly difficult. Vathrakogiannis said that the majority of passengers have been taken to safety. According to the public television station ERT, one of the train cars caught fire after the collision, and several people were trapped inside.