ALBAWABA - The death toll from the head-on collision of two trains in northern Greece has risen to at least 43 so far.
The crash between the passenger and freight trains occurred late Tuesday near the Greek city of Larissa.
According to international media outlets, the death toll has now reached 43.
But the number is expected to increase, especially since there are several among the 360 people who were aboard the passenger train who are missing and are believed to be under the wreckage.
There is also 60 injured people, some of them are in critical condition.
#sunrisewithadeel
— Zeeshan Baig (@drzeeshanbaig) March 2, 2023
At least 43 people have been killed after a passenger train ? and freight #TRAIN collided in #Greece ??
in one of the country's worst rail #accident
PM #Kyriakos Mitsotakis said in an address that it appears the accident was due to "tragic #human error pic.twitter.com/EJ16ObpSZW
Information circulated that a freight train was traveling in the opposite direction and collided with the passenger train head-on. The passengers are believed to be mostly university students.
Human error to blame for train crash – Greek PM: One of Greece’s worst-ever rail disasters, which claimed at least 43 lives, was due to “tragic human error”, the country’s prime minister has said. PM Kyriakos Mitsotakis spoke after visiting the site of… https://t.co/Pc41GLv0MG pic.twitter.com/cqfw4TOXHu
— LankaOnline (@LankaOnline) March 2, 2023
Social media users shared photos of the accident, which was described as a "horrific nightmare" and one of the worst railway disasters in Greece.
Photos showed that cranes were used to lift the debris during the rescue process to search for the missing.
Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said that the accident was caused by a tragic "human error," considering that the two services operated on the same track.
Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis called the Greece train crash an unfathomable tragedy, but it is being questioned if the accident involving passenger and freight trains might have been prevented. https://t.co/Oq7bXdkjLz
— HNGN (@HNGNcom) March 2, 2023
The manager of the local train station was later charged with murder. However, he denied any wrongdoing and blamed the accident on a possible technical malfunction.
For his part, Greek Minister of Transport Kostas Karamanlis submitted his resignation.
"When something so tragic happens, it is impossible to go on and pretend it (didn't) happen," said Karamanlis while announcing his resignation.
Greek Transport Minister Kostas #Karamanlis has submitted his #resignation, he said on Wednesday, following a #train collision in central #Greece which #killed at least 36 people and injured dozens. https://t.co/wap6oVPuTH
— ANews (@anews) March 1, 2023
Meanwhile, rescuers continue to search for survivors, while the prime minister promised that negligent officials will be held accountable and that the state will stay on the side of citizens.
