Train collision in Greece: 6.5-month-old baby was hospitalised

larissa train collision

A 6.5-month-old baby is hospitalised in Larissa University Hospital following the train collision in Tempi. At the same time, another 8-year-old boy is hospitalised in the pediatric surgery of the Larissa General Hospital.

The injured, in addition to Larissa, have been sent to hospitals in Thessaloniki and Katerini. Six are intubated in ICU.

In particular, according to Proto Thema, 20 people are hospitalised in AHEPA, Maternity and Katerini Hospital, 22 in Larissa General Hospital, 32 in Larissa University General Hospital and six are hospitalised in ICUs in Larissa. Also, two people are being treated at the Katerinis General Hospital.

Kostas Koukoumakas says that dozens of rescuers and firefighters searching for signs of life in the wreckage but “hope is getting less as time goes on”.

He also reports that as well as a local station master who has been arrested over the incident, state railway officials are also being questioned.

“Everyone here is looking for the cause of the tragedy,” says Koukoumakas, adding that overall responsibility for rail safety goes back to “big heads”.

He has been told that the train system was being operated manually, rather than electronically.

Koukoumakas has confirmed that many of the victims on the train are thought to be young people travelling back to the city of Thessaloniki, which has a large student population.

He says health officials are confident that the two hospitals in the nearby city of Larissa will be able to cope with the dozens of people who are injured.

At the same time, the station master of the city of Larissa has been charged with manslaughter by negligence.

Police say the 59-year-old has also been charged with grievous bodily harm by negligence.

The station master, who is in charge of signalling, denies any wrongdoing and has blamed the accident on a possible technical failure.

Investigators are trying to find out why the two trains were on the same track when they crashed near Larissa.

The transport minister for Greece has said the exact number of victims is still not known.

Local media reported Kostas Karamanlis said the causes would be investigated with transparency and seriousness.

"Today is a truly sad day, all of us here express our pain and sorrow. The thoughts of all of us are with the victims and their families."

Speaking from the scene of the collision, Karamanlis described it as a "very difficult search and rescue operation", adding: "We still do not know the exact number of victims.

"I would like us to remain calm and remain committed to doing everything we can to investigate the causes and not to sweep anything under the carpet."

The President of Greece, Katerina Sakellaropoulou, has described the train crash as an "unimaginable tragedy".

Local media reported Sakellaropoulou said in a statement: "We are facing an unimaginable tragedy, we mourn mainly young people.

"We share the pain of those who have lost their loved ones, although we know that their pain is so great that no comforting words can ease it. We are fighting for the injured and hope they get well soon.

"We thank the rescue crews and the medical staff, who give all their strength to the extrication and rescue operations. I express my deep sorrow and sympathy to the families of the victims. We are by their side."

The president was an official trip to Moldova, but has now cut the trip short to visit the crash site.

A train crash survivor has described the scenes after the crash as "chaotic".

The man told reporters gathered at Thessaloniki station: "All I personally remember is feeling a very strong braking and suddenly, I see sparks and flames on the sides of the windows.

"And then a sudden stop. This made us all panic and we just wanted to get out as soon as possible so we tried to break the window glass.

"Some guys who were near windows, we broke them, we got out. It was a chaotic situation in front of us."

READ MORE: Could the Greek train collision have been avoided?

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