TEMPE, Greece — A passenger practice collided with an oncoming freight practice in northern Greece early on Wednesday, killing 29 individuals and injuring no less than 85, officers from Greece’s Fireplace Service mentioned.

A number of practice vehicles derailed and no less than three caught fireplace after the crash close to Tempe, about 235 miles north of Athens. Hospital officers within the close by metropolis of Larissa mentioned no less than 25 individuals had severe accidents.

“The evacuation course of is ongoing and is being carried out below very tough circumstances because of the severity of the collision between the 2 trains,” Vassilis Varthakoyiannis, a Fireplace Service spokesman, mentioned. Hospital items used to deal with burn victims had been alerted within the space, he mentioned, including that dozens of ambulances have been concerned within the rescue effort.

Rescuers carrying head lamps labored in thick smoke, pulling items of mangled sheet metallic from the crashed rail vehicles to seek for trapped individuals.

“It was a really highly effective collision. This can be a horrible night time,” Costas Agorastos, the regional governor of the central Thessaly space, informed state-run tv. “The entrance part of the practice was smashed.”

The governor added that cranes and “particular lifting gear” have been coming in to clear the particles and raise the rail vehicles. “There’s particles flung throughout the crash website,” he mentioned.

Authorities officers mentioned the military had been contacted to help within the rescue. Hellenic Prepare, a rail operator, mentioned the passenger practice, northbound from Athens to the northern metropolis of Thessaloniki, had about 350 passengers on board when the collision occurred.