A train carrying 130 passengers collided with a semi-trailer truck on Tuesday in Avlida, on the mainland portion of Evia prefecture, in south-central Greece. Injuries were reported.
Fire brigade units rushed to the scene to free trapped passengers.
According to initial reports, a truck driver lost control of his vehicle, which then fell onto the tracks as the 1551 Halkida-Athens train was passing. The Oinoi-Halkida roadway was closed off.
Rail operator Hellenic Train said buses would transport the affected passengers. The company said Tuesday’s routes would be carried out by buses along the Oinoi – Halkida – Oinoi line and that delays should be expected.
It is reminded that 57 people, many college students, lost their lives in late February 2023, after the head-on collision between two of the company’s trains at the Tempi site in central Greece. A preliminary investigation has pointed to a station director of the state-run Hellenic Railways Organization (OSE) making a catastrophic mistake by directing one train into the path of the other.
Among the injured were two minors, aged 12 and 16, and a 59-year-old, who were hospitalized in Halkida, Hellenic Train said via its X (former twitter) account.
Police arrested the truck driver, who was subjected to a breathalyzer and blood tests.
According to the truck company, the driver said a flat tire caused him to lose control of the vehicle, which ended up on the railroad tracks.
