As it happened: Greece train tragedy

According to Thessaly regional governor Konstantinos Agorastos, about 250 passengers have been evacuated safely to Thessaloniki on buses. 

An exhausted rescuer working to find bodies from the wreckage said, "I've never seen anything like this in my entire life. It's tragic. Five hours later, we are finding bodies."

According to a Reuters report, at least 32 people have been killed in the accident so far while 85 are injured. The impact was so severe that the carriages instantly caught fire, burning the commuters stranded inside them. 

In the aftermath of the collision, an emergency government meeting was organised. Greece health minister Thanos Plevris, alongwith  interior minister Takis Theodorikako have visited the scene already. 

According to a latest update by AFP, at least 29 people have been killed while 85 are injured. Vassilis Vathrakogiannis, a fire services spokesman confirmed that three carriages were derailed. 

"At least 29 people have been found dead so far. 85 people were injured and transported to nearby hospitals,"said Vathrakogiannis.

Passengers on one of the trains, who were transported from the crash site by bus to the northern city of Thessaloniki, described the horrific scene. 

“We heard a big bang, (it was) ten nightmarish seconds, we were turning over in the wagon until we fell on our sides, and until the commotion stopped, then there was panic, cables (everywhere) fire, the fire was immediate, as we were turning over we were being burned, fire was right and left,” said 28-year old passenger Stergios Minenis.

The local fire officials confirmed that the death toll in the Greece train accident jumped to 26. "At least 26 people have been found dead so far," said a fire services spokesman, while speaking to the media. Meanwhile, the governor said, "The collision was very strong." He added that the train's first two carriages caught fire after the accident and were "almost completely destroyed".

The authorities launched a major emergency response as 40 firefighters, 30 ambulances and police were dispatched to the accident site. As per the Skai television network, Governor Kostas Agorastos said that "more than 250 passengers were transferred to Thessaloniki by bus". "Unfortunately, the number of injured and dead could be high," he stated. An emergency government meeting is going on.
 

At least 16 people were killed and around 85 others were injured in the train collision, as per the local fire officials. "At least 16 people have been found dead so far," said a fire services spokesman said, further stating that the rescue operations were still ongoing. "Eighty-five people were injured and transported to nearby hospitals," he added.