Greece train crash: Death toll rises to 38
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Athens: The Greek Fire Service stated that 38 people have been killed and 57 more remain hospitalised as a result of a head-on accident between two trains in central Greece three days ago.
It was noted on Wednesday that six individuals had been admitted to intensive care.
According to Greek Fire Service spokesman Vasilios Vathrakogiannis, who spoke at a news conference, the death toll is anticipated to rise as the search and rescue effort is still going on close to the city of Larissa.
Most of the victims in Greece's worst-ever train accident were young people whose families are now demanding explanations, Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said in a televised address to the nation on Wednesday evening.
"We will work so that this 'never again' that I heard in Larissa will not remain an empty promise," he told Greek national broadcaster ERT.
The Greek Prime Minister added that the country's State Minister Giorgos Gerapetritis would serve as a transitional Infrastructure and Transport Minister, after the resignation of Kostas Karamanlis, until the general election which would take place in the spring, Xinhua news agency reported.
An independent, cross-party committee of experts will also be established, to fully examine the causes of the accident, and to investigate chronic delays in the implementation of railway projects. Two national railway officials have resigned, Mitsotakis added.
An investigation into the cause of the disaster had been launched, with information so far indicating that it was caused by human error, he said.
The two trains, a passenger train travelling from Athens to Thessaloniki city port in northern Greece and a cargo train, were on the same track, but travelling in opposite directions for several kilometres before the collision.
President of the train drivers' association, Kostas Genidounias told ERT that there were chronic shortcomings in railway operations that should be addressed.
A three-day national mourning has been declared in the country.
With inputs from IANS
