Iraq expresses solidarity with Greece as death toll reaches 57

Shafaq News/ The Iraqi Ministry of Foreign Affairs extended condolences, in a statement on Thursday, to the State of Greece in the aftermath the train collision that killed dozens near the city of Larissa.

The Ministry also expressed its sincere solidarity with the families of the victims, and wished a speedy recovery for the injured.

The death toll from Tuesday's train crash in Greece has increased to 57 as rescue workers are still going through burned and buckled carriages in a desperate search for victims.

Rail workers held a one-day strike on Thursday following the disaster, blaming government neglect. The walkout follows protests in Athens, Thessaloniki and the city of Larissa, near the site of the disaster.

The incident happened just before midnight on Tuesday. A passenger train carrying 350 people collided with a freight train after both ended up on the same track - causing the front carriages to burst into flames.

Many in Greece see the crash as an accident waiting to happen, and the union blamed successive governments' "disrespect" towards Greek railways for leading to this "tragic result".

Meanwhile, a government minister said austerity during Greece's economic crisis in the 2000s contributed to a lack of investment in the railways.

Government spokesman Giannis Oikonomous also said "chronic delays" in implementing rail projects were rooted in "distortions" in the country's public sector going back decades.