Greece has been hit with an unexpected tragedy after two trains, a freight train and a passenger train were involved in a fatal head on collision. Currently, several firefighters and rescuers are reportedly combing the debris for signs of life with little hope.
According to Proto Thema, a Greek news outlet, 36 individuals have already been declared dead, and the number is expected to rise as the rescue effort goes on. A fire service official aiding in the ongoing rescue operations, has said that about 72 people have already been hospitalized.
It's not clear how two trains were allowed to run concurrently on the same rail. It has however been established, that the train system was being run manually rather than electronically, an event that might have brought about the confusion.
A railway station administrator, in the Greek city close to the scene of the Tuesday night collision has since been detained by Police due to negligence, with several other state railway officials being interrogated.
The Transport Minister Kostas Karamanlis, has also resigned from his role citing inability to continue serving after something so calamitous touching on his ministry had occurred.
The President of Greece, Katerina Sakellaropoulou has termed the incident as an "unimaginable tragedy" and has set aside 3 days of national mourning with the Greece's national flag expected to fly at half-mast throughout the country.
The Greek government has declared that it will cater for the funeral expenses of all those who succumbed to the tragic train accident.
Emmanuel Macron, the president of France, has conveyed his sympathies to the people of Greece and to all the families that were affected by the deadly tragedy.
In a post via his official Twitter page, President Macron said, “My thoughts are with the relatives of the victims of the tragic accident that happened last night near Larissa."
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