According to New York State Police, Helfer was driving his department-issued vehicle westbound when another driver traveling eastbound passed a driveway and backed up. As dawn broke, the full scale of the devastation became clear, The site of a crash, where two trains collided, is seen near the city of Larissa, Greece, March 1, 2023. The media network attributed the problems to unsafe level crossings, poor infrastructure and traffic management systems, and understaffed companies. Its unlikely there will be survivors, but hope dies last, rescuer Nikos Zygouris said. 'There was panic the fire was immediate, as we were turning over we were being burned, fire was right and left,' said Stergios Minenis, a 28-year-old who jumped to safety. Helfer has been acting as interim chief since Forsythes resignation. A teenage survivor who did not give his name to reporters said that just before the crash he felt strong braking and saw sparks then there was a sudden stop. A passenger train carrying hundreds of people, including many university students returning home from holiday, collided at high speed before midnight Tuesday with an oncoming freight train. Our data illustrates traffic conditions on the road and traffic conditions on the motorways in real time. More than 200 people who were unharmed or suffered minor injuries were taken by bus to Thessaloniki, 130 kilometers (80 miles) to the north. Two rail officials were being questioned by police but had not been detained. Rescuers searched for survivors Wednesday in the mangled, burned-out wreckage of two trains that slammed into each other in northern Greece, killing at least It could still rise further, The collision between a freight and passenger train occurred near Tempe, some 380 kilometres (235 miles) north of Athens, and resulted in the derailment of several train cars. Neighbouring Albania, Italy, Serbia and Turkey were among states to send condolences, as did China, the United States, France, Russia, Ukraine, Germany, and the Vatican. As 85 people were taken to hospitals with injuries, Mr. Mitsotakis hurried to visit the site and trepidation grew about a rising death toll. (George Kidonas/AP), Smoke rises from trains as firefighters and rescuers operate after a collision near Larissa city, Greece, early Wednesday, March 1, 2023. This number was later revised to say that 38 people had been killed. Emergency workers used cranes and other heavy machinery to move large pieces of the trains, revealing more bodies and dismembered remains. Helfer swerved toavoid a collision, but he lost control of the SUV and struck a telephone pole, according to Greece Police. He resigned on Wednesday afternoon, 'I've never seen anything like this in my entire life,' said one rescue worker, emerging from the wreckage. If an investigation proves that national safety standards were not in line with E.U. At least 36 people are dead, and another 85 injured, after a passenger train collided with a freight train overnight on Tuesday, Feb. 28, 2023, in central Greece. Hellenic Train is operated by Italys FS Group, which runs rail services in several European countries. Greeces firefighting service said 57 people remained hospitalized late Wednesday, including six in intensive care. A train carrying hundreds of passengers collided with an oncoming freight train in northern Greece, killing and injuring dozens passengers. Weather 0C Monday -4 | -2C Tuesday -7 | -4C Wednesday -9 | -3C In Athens, several hundred members of left-wing groups marched late Wednesday to protest the train deaths. Survivors described scenes of horror, with the impact sending passengers hurtling through train car windows or trapping them under buckled cars. All rights reserved. A railway official, who insisted on speaking anonymously because he was not authorized to discuss the crash, said that electronic monitoring and warning systems along the track did not work properly. On Wednesday, the government declared three days of national mourning. The union called the one-day strike to protest what it said was chronic neglect of Greeces railways by successive governments. People, naturally, were scared very scared, he said. 'The collision was like a huge earthquake.'. Visiting the accident scene, Prime Minister Mitsotakis said the government must help the injured recover and identify the dead. (Giannis Papanikos/AP), Firefighters and rescuers collect a body after a collision in Tempe, about 376 kilometers (235 miles) north of Athens, near Larissa city, Greece, Wednesday, March 1, 2023. Everything else we will deal with afterward, he said. Elisavet, who had traveled from Athens and like her sister declined to give her surname because she did not want more exposure, said: The myth about the safety of traveling by train has finally collapsed., Mr. Karamanlis, the transport minister, who choked up earlier in the day while talking to reporters at the site of the crash, said later that he was resigning as the minimum expression of respect to the memory of those who were so unfairly lost and that he was assuming responsibility for the chronic ailments of the Greek state and the political system.. The toll surpassed that of a 1968 collision involving two passenger trains near Corinth, about 40 miles west of Athens, which left 34 people dead. Train debris lies on the rail lines after a collision in Tempe, about 376 kilometers (235 miles) north of Athens, near Larissa city, Greece, Wednesday, March 1, 2023. They were looking around, searching; they didnt know where they were.. Incredible moment Air Force breaks ship IN HALF with a single 2,000 pound 'quick sink' bomb dropped by F-15E Strike Eagle with 'torpedo-like' accuracy, Philadelphia coach Nick Sirianni downs shots with fans in a New Jersey bar following chant of 'E-A-G-L-E-S Eagles' two weeks after his team's Super Bowl LVII defeat by the Chiefs, Kevin Durant scores 23 points on his Phoenix Suns debut as he helps his new team snap the Charlotte Hornets' five-game winning streak, At least 40 people are confirmed dead with more than a dozen still missing, A passenger train suffered a head-on collision with a cargo train near Larissa, Several dozen people are killed and at least 85 are injured in horrific head-on train crash in Greece - READ MORE. Greeces firefighting service said some 66 people were hospitalized, including six in intensive care. The crash which injured Helfer came less than a month after the departments former chief, Drew Forsythe, pleaded guilty to charges including DWAI for an October crash. My hair is burning, he told ERT, without giving his name. Details are limited at this time. You may unsubscribe at any time by clicking the unsubscribe link included in the newsletter. Government spokesman Yiannis Economou said the two trains were left running on the same track for 'several kilometres'. Television footage showed red cranes looming over the twisted, charred wreckage, as police and rescue workers in fluorescent jackets surveyed the scene. Condolences poured in from around the world, including neighboring Turkey, Greece's historic regional rival. Train debris lies on the rail lines after a collision in Tempe, about 376 kilometers (235 miles) north of Athens, near Larissa city, Greece, Wednesday, March 1, 2023. Costas Agorastos, the regional governor of the Thessaly area, told Greeces Skai Television the two trains collided head-on at high speed. Greece police officers responded to the scene around 4:36 p.m., and found three cars were involved in the crash. Eight rail employees were among the dead, including the two drivers of the freight train and the two drivers of the passenger train, according to Yannis Nitsas, president of the Greek Railroad Workers Union. In total, 118 stories have been published about Greece, New York which Ground News has aggregated in the past 3 months. The death toll from the head-on collision of two trains in central Greece is likely to rise with officials acknowledging A train carrying hundreds of passengers has collided with an oncoming freight train in northern Greece, killing at least 36 people and injuring dozens of passengers. At least 38 people Greece Police Here are our tips for making the right choice. The death toll from the collision of two trains in central Greece rose on Wednesday as authorities announced that at least 36 people had been Many of the approximately 350 people aboard the passenger train were students returning fromGreeces raucous Carnival, officials said. You can also transfer your calculated routes from your computer to the app: to do this, you must save it in your Favourites via your Michelin account. 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ET. The passenger train, carrying more than 350 people, had been travelling from Athens to the northern city of Thessaloniki. Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis was to visit the scene later in the day. (Vaggelis Kousioras/AP), Transport Minister Kostas Karamanlis makes statements to the media during his visit at the location of a collision of the train in Tempe, about 376 kilometers (235 miles) north of Athens, near Larissa city, Greece, Wednesday, March 1, 2023. While the track is double, both trains were traveling in opposite directions on the same line near the Vale of Tempe, a river valley about 380 kilometers (235 miles) north of Athens. Do not sell or share my personal information. At least 36 people are dead and another 85 injured. The Greek police on Wednesday afternoon arrested the station manager in Larissa, about 20 miles south of the crash site, without giving a reason. By posting your comment you agree to our house rules. The train from Athens to Thessaloniki was carrying 350 passengers, many of them students returning fromraucous Carnival celebrations. The crash occurred as the passenger train emerged from a tunnel (pictured). The cause of the deadliest rail crash in Greece in decades remains unclear but the PM said it was likely 'tragic human error' A safety supervisor had resigned last year, warning that infrastructure upgrades pending since 2016 were incomplete and that train speeds of up to 200 kilometres (124 miles) an hour were unsafe. That was in part because of budget problems and in part because the system was not fully operational to prevent such accidents, the official said. The free mobile app offers Michelin maps and routes with real-time traffic, GPS Navigation with voice guidance and community alerts. Green vehicles: which motorisation for which use? This year was the first time the festival, which precedes Lent, was celebrated in full since the start of the pandemic in 2020. The operation was to continue overnight, with firefighters proceeding painstakingly through the wreckage. The army was assisting with the rescue operation, and the Greek minister for civil protection, Christos Stylianides, was coordinating the states response. Outside the Larissa General Hospital, where most of the injured were being treated and coroners were working to identify the dead, relatives awaited news about missing loved ones. Experts noted that the country already had the worst record for rail safety in Europe and that endemic problems of maintenance had not been addressed for decades, even before austerity measures enforced by Europe after Greeces 2009 financial crisis led to drastic budget cuts. ViaMichelin routes take into account the impact of road traffic on your journey time. Greeks began to look for answers. GREECE, N.Y. (WROC) Authorities investigated a rollover crash near the area of English Road and Mt. The trains were completely destroyed, both passenger and freight trains.. It was not immediately clear what led to the crash, which happened as the passenger train traveled from Athens to the northern city of Thessaloniki just before midnight on Tuesday. Firefighters collect bodies after a collision in Tempe near Larissa city, Greece early Wednesday, March 1, 2023. Larissa's chief coroner, Roubini Leondari, said 43 bodies had been brought to her for examination and would require DNA identification as they were largely disfigured. There were many big pieces of steel, said Vassilis Polyzos, a local resident who said he was one of the first people on the scene. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? (Giannis Papanikos/AP), Debris of trains lie on the rail lines as firefighters operate after a collision in Tempe, about 376 kilometres (235 miles) north of Athens, near Larissa city, Greece, Wednesday, March 1, 2023. A passenger train carrying hundreds of people, including many university students returning home from holiday, collided at high speed before midnight Tuesday with an oncoming freight train. Michael Wood, a deputy commissioner at the state Division of Criminal Justice Services who also previously worked for the Rochester Police Department for two decades, is set to begin his role as chief next week. Carriage one and two no longer exist, and the third has derailed, he said. Seventeen biological samples have been collected from remains, and from 23 relatives seeking a match, the police said. It was believed to be the body of one of the train drivers. Transport Minister Kostas Karamanlis makes statements to the media during his visit at the location of a collision of the train in Tempe, about 376 kilometers (235 miles) north of Athens, near Larissa city, Greece, Wednesday, March 1, 2023. Multiple cars derailed and at least three burst into flames after the two trains ran into each other at high speed just before midnight Tuesday, near the town of Tempe in northern Greece. Greece police chief wasinvolved in a crash, pleaded guilty to driving while ability impaired, Your California Privacy Rights / Privacy Policy. 'Shocked by the news and images of the collision of the two trains,' he added. I feel so sorry for the parents of these kids.. Everything is done manually, he said, adding that neither the signals nor the traffic control system worked. Renting a car can be financially advantageous. In Athens, several hundred members of left-wing groups marched late Wednesday to protest the train deaths. Minor clashes broke out as some protesters threw stones at the offices of Greece's rail operator and riot police, and set dumpsters on fire. No arrests or injuries were reported. Copyright 2023 NBCUniversal Media, LLC. Hopes of finding anyone still alive in the wreckage more than 34 hours later appeared slim. public events). This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. 'When something so tragic happens, we cannot continue as if nothing had happened,' Karamanlis said in a public statement. Check out what's clicking on Foxnews.com. WebGreece Police Headquarters 6 Vince Tofany Blvd. According to New York State Police, Helfer was driving his department-issued vehicle westbound when another driver traveling eastbound passed a driveway and backed up. There was a fire in the first cars and complete panic. In an open letter published last month, train staff said track safety systems were incomplete and poorly maintained. Read Boulevard. Police arrested We will automatically post your comment and a link to the news story to your Facebook timeline at the same time it is posted on MailOnline. What appeared to be the third carriage lay atop the clumped remains of the first two. The fire service said that there had been two people on the freight train and 342 passengers and 10 railway staff members on the passenger train. Carriage 1 and 2 no longer exist, and the third has derailed, Costas Agorastos, the regional governor of the Thessaly area, told the Greek channel Skai Television. A crane, firefighters and rescuers operate after a collision in Tempe near Larissa city, Greece, Wednesday, March 1, 2023. Male birth control gel you rub on your SHOULDERS could be available within a decade as scientists claim trials have gone 'extremely well' - and it might be as good as the Pill! ViaMichelin provides details of incidents that may affect road traffic in Greece that include: road closures, lane restrictions, accidents, roadworks, weather, special events (e.g. A man who was trying to ascertain the fate of his daughter, who was on the train, said he had a harrowing phone conversation with her before she was cut off. Electric, hybrid and alternative fuels: what are the different advantages and limitations? WebStay current with all the latest and breaking news from Greece, New York, compare headlines and perspectives between news sources on stories happening today. The collision between a freight and passenger train occurred near Tempe, some 380 kilometers (235 miles) north of Athens, and resulted in the derailment of several train cars. My head hit the roof of the carriage with the jolt," Stefanos Gogakos, who was in a rear car, told state broadcaster ERT. Students take part in a protest following a deadly train accident on February 28, 2023, near the city of Larissa, central Greece where 38 people died, outside the Hellenic Train headquarters, in Athens, on March 1. The priority now is to nurse the injured and support the families who have lost their loved ones. (George Kidonas/AP). Sickening CCTV footage has revealed the moment two trains collided in Greece in a horror smash that killed more than 40 people in the country's worst rail tragedy. Most (of the bodies) are young people, she told ERT. Wood will officially be sworn in as chief on January 15th. (Vaggelis Kousioras/AP), Firefighters operate after a collision in Tempe near Larissa city, Greece early Wednesday, March 1, 2023. Survivors have told of a "nightmarish 10 seconds" as their train carriage overturned and was engulfed in flames in a crash in central Greece. Images showed him holding his hands up to his face in disbelief and horror at the scene. Forsythe, who served as chief for less than a year, resigned from his job several days after the crash. But the crash clearly struck a nerve. law, the European Commission could start legal proceedings against the government in question. Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual. 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