Thessaloniki : Early on Wednesday, a passenger train collided with a freight train in northern Greece, resulting in fires and injuries to several people. According to officials from the police and Fire Service, multiple train cars derailed, and at least three of them caught fire after the accident near Tempe, which is located approximately 380 kilometers (235 miles) north of Athens.

As per hospital officials in the nearby city of Larissa, at least 60 people were injured in the crash, with 25 of them sustaining serious injuries. Governor of the central Thessaly area, Costas Agorastos, spoke to state-run television and described the collision as a “very powerful” one, adding that “It’s hard to describe the scene.”

Several ambulances arrived from neighboring towns to help transport injured passengers, and rescue workers with head lamps worked amidst thick smoke to remove mangled sheet metal from the crashed rail cars in search of trapped individuals. The government has reached out to the army to provide assistance in the rescue operations, and two additional hospitals in Larissa have been put on emergency duty.