Athens: At least 29 people died as two trains collided in northern Greece on Tuesday as rescuers tried to search for survivors, media reports said.

At least 29 people were killed and more than 85 injured when a passenger train carrying more than 350 people collided with a freight train on Tuesday evening, shortly before midnight, in Tempi, central Greece, near the city of Larissa, the Greek Fire Service was quoted as saying by CNN.

“We just heard a bang… the (train) car started spinning, before ending up sideways when we managed to exit,” one male passenger told Greek public broadcaster ERT.

“It was 10 nightmarish seconds with fire, you couldn’t see much from the smoke,” said a second passenger.

Greek Fire Service spokesman Vassilis Varthakogiannis was quoted as saying in a televised briefing that at least 150 firefighters with 17 vehicles and 40 ambulances are involved in the rescue operation.

The exact cause of the tragedy is still not known.