Shortly before midnight on the night of Wednesday, a freight train and a passenger train collided near the city of Larissa in Greece.

The collision between the trains occurred near Tempe, about 380 kilometers north of Athens, and resulted in the derailment of several train cars, AP reports.

"People screamed"

The Greek television company Skai showed images of derailed carriages, completely destroyed with broken windows, thick smoke and debris strewn across the road.

Rescue workers were seen carrying torches in carriages as they searched for trapped passengers.

- There was panic in the carriage, people were screaming, says a young man who was evacuated to a nearby bridge, to Skai tv.

Local media reported that around 350 people were traveling on the train.

“Terrible night”

At least three of the derailed wagons are on fire.

- It was a very strong collision.

This is a terrible night, Costas Agorastos, regional governor of the Thessaly region, told state-run Greek television.

Trapped in the wagons

Emergency services are on the scene and are searching for people who are feared to be trapped in the carriages.

The army has been contacted to help with rescue efforts, according to Greek authorities.

Two hospitals in the nearby city of Larissa, 38 miles north of the Greek capital Athens, have been put on standby.

"We currently have no information about injured or dead Swedes," writes the Swedish Foreign Ministry's press service in an email to TT.

Obsolete railway system

It is still unclear what caused the collision, but according to Reuters, Greece has an outdated railway system.

Many sections are single-track and automatic signaling systems are still missing in several areas.

As part of measures to overcome the debt crisis, Greece sold its railway company Trainose to Italy in 2017.

Several carriages derailed in the collision between a passenger train and a freight train in northern Greece on the night of Wednesday.

Photo: Vaggelis Kousioras/AP/TT

The text is updated.