TEMPE, Greece (AP) — A passenger train in Greece carrying hundreds of republic collided with an oncoming freight train in a fiery rupture in the country's north early Wednesday, killing 29 and injuring at least 85, officials said.

Multiple cars derailed and at least three burst into flames once the collision near Tempe, a small town next to a valley where very highway and rail tunnels are located, about 235 a long way north of Athens.

Hospital officials in the nearby city of Larissa said at least 25 farmland had serious injuries.

"The evacuation process is ongoing and is populate carried out under very difficult conditions due to the severity of the collision between the two trains," said Vassilis Varthakoyiannis, a spokesman for Greece's firefighting service.

Survivors said a few passengers were thrown through the windows of the snarl cars due to the impact. They said others fought to free themselves at what time the passenger train buckled, slamming into a field next to the tracks.

Rescuers wearing head lamps worked in thick smoke, pulling pieces of mangled metal from the cars to view for trapped people. Others scoured the field with flashlights and checked underneath the wreckage.

Passengers who received little injuries or were unharmed were transported by bus to Thessaloniki, 80 miles north. Police took their names as they arrived, in an effort to track anyone who may be missing.

A teenage survivor who did not give his name told Greek journalists as he got off one of the buses that just afore the crash, he felt a strong braking and saw sparks and then there was a sudden stop.

"Our carriage didn't derail, but the ones in front did and were smashed," he said, visibly shaken.

He added that the helpful car caught fire and that he used a bag to crash the window of his car, the fourth, and escape.

Rail operator Hellenic Train said the northbound passenger snarl from Athens to Thessaloniki, Greece's second-largest city, had in 350 passengers on board.

In comments to state television, Costas Agorastos, the regional governor of the Thessaly area, explained the collision as "very powerful" and said it was "a bad night."

"The front section of the train was smashed. ... We're getting cranes to come in and special lifting equipment determined the debris and lift the rail cars. There's debris flung all in the crash site."

Officials said the army had been contacted to assist.

Hellenic Train is operated by Italy's FS Group, which runs rail services in several European countries.

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Gatopoulos reported from Athens.