At least 29 dead, 85 injured after trains collide in northern Greece

A passenger train and a freight train collided in northern Greece, killing at least 29 people and injuring 85 others as plumes of smoke filled the night sky.

The crash occurred shortly before midnight Wednesday near the Tempe Valley in northern Greece, the Hellenic Fire Service said.

The passenger train was riding along a route between two popular tourist cities, Athens and Thessaloniki, when it crashed about 255 miles north of Athens. Some of the injured were transported to hospitals in the nearby city of Larissa, and at least 150 firefighters and dozens of emergency vehicles were dispatched to the scene.

“The evacuation process is ongoing and is being carried out under very difficult conditions due to the severity of the collision between the two trains,” Fire Service spokesman Vassilis Varthakoyiannis said, according to the Associated Press.

Footage from the crash site showed flames surrounding the derailed train cars as well as the swirling lights of firetrucks and ambulances nearby. At least two train cars appeared to be tipped sideways near the track, while one train car had severely dented, gaping windows as firefighters worked to extricate passengers.

Damage to the train cars are so severe that crane trucks are being used to assist with vehicle extrication, Varthakoyiannis said. People were still trapped in several passenger carriages and awaiting rescue in the early morning hours, the local news organization Skai TV reported.

Authorities are working to transport bodies to hospitals for identification, and at least 194 surviving passengers, including those seeking treatment, have been transferred to Thessaloniki by bus.

The cause of the accident is unknown.