At least three killed after train derails in Greece

A derailed train carriage is seen toppled in the town of Adendro in northern Greece, May 14, 2017. (TRT World and Agencies)

At least three people were killed and ten more were injured when a train derailed in northern Greece on Saturday night and ripped through a house, authorities said.

The train carrying 70 passengers was heading from Athens to the second-biggest city of Thessaloniki when it derailed in the town of Adendro, some 37 km (23 miles) away. The cause of the accident was not yet known.

One carriage crashed into the ground floor of a two-storey house while others toppled onto their sides, their windows smashed.

The driver was in critical condition, according to the company operating the train said.

“Death came calling,” the Athens News Agency quoted Yorgos Mylonas, a local resident, as saying. “I heard a strange noise and then I saw the train approaching and ramming into my neighbour’s house,” he said.

Some media said five carriages had derailed.

Firefighters rushed to the area after the train derailed. Source: Reuters (TRT World and Agencies)

At least 12 fire trucks were deployed to the area, the fire brigade said, in a rescue operation which lasted into the night.

Rescuers remained in the area throughout the night, making sure no passengers were trapped.

Regional Governor of Central Macedonia region in Greece, Apostolos Tzitzikostas said the accident was “a tragedy” and its cause was under investigation.