More than 36 people have been killed in a fatal train collision in Greece, as questions remain over its cause.

Rescue teams searched for survivors from Tuesday night’s crash, with some bodies found up to 130ft from the site due to the force of the impact.

The country’s transport minister has resigned and a stationmaster has been arrested.

Here’s everything we know so far about the collision:

Two trains collide at around midnight

Fire Service officials said 36 people were killed and at least 85 were hurt after a passenger train, which was carrying around 350 passengers, collided with a freight train head-on just before midnight.

It occurred as the passenger train, which was travelling between Athens and the northern city of Thessaloniki, emerged from a tunnel near the Vale of Tempe – a gorge that separates the regions of Thessaly and Macedonia.

Police said several carriages came off the rails, with at least three of them catching fire, with footage from the scene showing crumpled carriages.

While it is currently unclear at what speed both trains were travelling when they crashed, state broadcaster ERT quoted rescuers saying they found some victims’ bodies 30-40 metres (100-130ft) from the impact site.

The collision took place near Tempe, around 235 miles north of Athens.

Many victims thought to be students

Many of the victims were thought to be university students.

Officials said many of the passengers on board the Athens to Thessaloniki train had been students returning home after celebrating a nationwide carnival over the long weekend.

Eight rail employees were among those killed in the crash, including the two drivers of the freight train and the two drivers of the passenger train, according to Greek Railroad Workers Union President Yannis Nitsas.

Some 76 people were left needing hospital treatment, including six in intensive care, Greece’s firefighting service said.

More than 200 people who were unharmed or suffered minor injuries were taken by bus to Thessaloniki.

Transport minister resigns and station master arrested

The cause of the crash was not immediately clear.

The country’s transport minister Kostas Karamanlis resigned, saying he felt it was his “duty” to step down “as a basic indication of respect for the memory of the people who died so unfairly”.

Police said the 59-year-old stationmaster in Larissa was arrested, and a further two people were detained for questioning.

Rescue operation hampered

Rescuers used cranes to move large pieces of the train to find victims’ bodies, but fire officials said conditions for the operation were “very difficult” due to the severity of the crash.

Fire Service spokesman Vassilis Varthakoyiannis said: “The evacuation process is ongoing and is being carried out under very difficult conditions due to the severity of the collision between the two trains.

“Temperatures reached 1,300 degrees Celsius (2,372 Fahrenheit), which makes it even more difficult to identify the people who were in it.”

Three days of national mourning

On Wednesday, the government declared three days of national mourning.

Visiting the accident scene, Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said the government must help the injured, and recover and identify the dead.

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