(CNN) — At least 36 people were killed and dozens injured after two trains collided in northern Greece on Tuesday night, the country’s fire service said.
Company spokesman Vassilis Tradgiannis told a televised conference on Wednesday that 66 people were being treated in hospital so far, six of them in intensive care.
Also, 194 passengers were safely transferred by bus to Thessaloniki, Greece’s second largest city, and 20 were transferred by bus to Larissa.
The cause of the accident is still unknown.
Greek Health Minister Thanos Plevris said on Wednesday that the process of identifying the victims of Tuesday night’s train crash in Greece has begun.
“We have started the process of identifying the dead. As you understand, it is a terrifying process for the parents and relatives here. We will help them as much as we can,” Plavris said outside the hospital in Larissa. Two trains near the town where they crash.
“There are some difficulties in the identification process… the injured are in relatively good condition,” Plevris added.
(Credit: STRINGER/SOOC/AFP via Getty Images)
At least 150 firefighters with 17 vehicles and more than 20 ambulances are still involved in the rescue operation, according to Tradgiogiannis.
A passenger train traveling from Athens to Thessaloniki collided with a freight train in the central Greek region of Tempi, near the city of Larissa, shortly before midnight local time on Tuesday, Varthagogiannis said.
For his part, Greek Fire Service spokesman Ioannis Artoboios said on Wednesday that search and rescue operations were continuing. According to the Greek Fire Service, crews at the site are focusing their efforts on the first two (train) carriages of the passenger train.
The Hellenic Train railway company said in a press release, “Two trains, a freight train from Athens to Thessaloniki and train IC 62, collided head-on. Around 350 passengers were on board at the time of the collision.”.
(Credit: STRINGER/SOOC/AFP via Getty Images)
Footage from Greece’s state public broadcaster Earth showed smoke billowing from the derailed train carriages early Wednesday. Long lines of rescue vehicles with flashing lights can also be seen next to the damaged train coaches.
