The site of a crash, where two trains collided, is seen near the city of Larissa, Greece, March 1, 2023. [Source: Reuters]

Twenty-six people were killed and at least 85 injured after two trains collided head-on in Greece late on Tuesday, the fire brigade said, while the circumstances of the crash remained unclear.

A passenger train travelling from Athens to the northern city of Thessaloniki collided with a cargo train outside the city of Larissa in central Greece, said the governor of the Thessaly region.

The first two carriages, which caught fire after the collision, were “almost completely destroyed,” said Agorastos.

About 250 passengers were evacuated safely to Thessaloniki on buses. One passenger told state broadcaster ERT he managed to escape after breaking the train window with his suitcase.

Broadcaster SKAI showed footage of derailed carriages, badly damaged with broken windows and thick plumes of smoke, as well as debris strewn across the road. Rescue workers were seen carrying torches in carriages looking for trapped passengers.

In the early hours of Wednesday, footage from state broadcaster ERT showed rescue workers with headlights searching the surrounding fields for survivors.

Local media reported about 350 people were travelling on the passenger train.

The cargo train had been travelling from Thessaloniki to Larissa.