17 hurt as fast train derails
Seventeen people including a baby were injured yesterday when a high-speed Athens-bound train carrying 140 passengers derailed close to Thessaloniki in an accident authorities are blaming on human error. At 12.50 p.m., four of the train’s carriages overturned as it entered the village of Adendro, about 35 kilometers west of Thessaloniki, authorities said. The first carriage went up in flames. «The accident occurred due to human error, just as they happen on other modes of transport, such as airplanes and cars,» said Costas Giannakos, managing director of OSE, the Hellenic Railways Organization. An 8-month-old baby was among those hurt, suffering serious head injuries. After operating on the infant late yesterday, doctors said its condition was critical but stable. Passengers accused the driver of traveling at an excessively high speed to make up for a delay. OSE has placed two of its employees on suspension and is continuing its investigation into the accident.
