Head-on train crash in Greece

A high-speed, head-on collision between a freight train and a passenger train took place in Greece late on Tuesday, which caused carriages to derail and catch on fire.

The passenger train, Inter City 62, was moving on the same track as the freight train, at a speed of at least 150 km/h for 25 km without the driver being aware of the upcoming collision.

This event was the deadliest train accident in Greek rail history, where 44 people have lost their lives and 57 have been injured so far.

No official report about the reasons leading to the accident has been established yet. However, the local station master is facing serious allegations after reportedly admitting that a human error caused the two trains to collide.

More specifically, previous damage to power cables caused deviation from the standard routes and track changes had to be made manually. The most likely scenario so far is that the required track change was not made, and the two trains ended up moving on the same route.

Finally, Efthymios Lekkas, president of the Organization of Antiseismic Planning and Protection (OASP), noted that the results could have been much worse, had the collision taken place inside the nearby tunnel.