20-year-old Andreas Alikaniotis and his fellow students were among the 350 passengers on the train to Thessaloniki when it collided with another train on the same track. 57 people lost their lives in the accident.
Andreas was one of those who survived the blast.
– When the train collided, I felt a strong jolt, and suddenly the carriage began to slide apart. Then only screams were heard everywhere and panic broke out, says Alikaniotis.
Smashed the window to find a way out
However, the fire in the wagon next to him was spreading rapidly, and Alikaniotis knew he needed to act quickly.
– We broke a window that had already begun to crack and tried to get out through it.
The wagon had ended up in a ditch and Alikaniotis estimates that it was about three to four meters down to the ground. He and the fellow passengers then came up with a solution to make the jump safer.
– We started throwing out our suitcases so that we could land on the ground a little softer. Then we started jumping one by one – first the women and those who were more seriously injured, and then we who managed to get away more or less unharmed, says Alikaniotis.
Saved around ten people
Alikaniotis also managed to save about 10 people from the train, and helped them out.
– I remember pulling two or three girls out of the compartment next to me and helping them up to the window so they could jump out of the carriage.
– Everyone was panicked, but we tried our best to stay calm and in the end we made it out.