Thousands of vehicles have been trapped in the Athens-Corinth highway and dozens of passengers are stuck in the Proastikos train for over 7 hours due to a fire in a tank truck earlier on Thursday.
Απίστευτη ταλαιπωρία καταγγέλλουν οι οδηγοί που παραμένουν εγκλωβισμένοι στην #Εθνική Οδό Αθηνών – Κορίνθου, κατόπιν εντολής της ΕΛΑΣ, λόγω της φωτιάς που εκδηλώθηκε νωρίτερα σε βυτιοφόρο.
🎥 NEWS 24/7#ΑθηνώνΚορίνθου pic.twitter.com/4AIssQHOd9
— NEWS 24/7 (@News247gr) August 17, 2023
Angry motorists on both national roads posted on social media, the old national and the new highway, well since early Thursday afternoon. Many complained ot media that police should not have allowed them to enter the highway after a certain point.
A driver complained to STAR TV at 8 p.m. that he was stuck with his family, including a 5-year-old child, on the highway since 2 p.m.
Note that many return from their summer holidays and the long weekend around August 15 and decided to travel on Thursday to avoid the traffic jams over the upcoming weekend when thousands of holiday makers will return.
Χαμός… Περιμέναμε 4 ώρες στο ίδιο σημείο Αθηνών-Κορινθου και τώρα μας αναγκάζουν να γυρίσουμε πίσω #41τακατο #μμεξεφτιλες pic.twitter.com/Sfuk6OrPNq
— nai (@CjK1JeSlnAUMY1n) August 17, 2023
Αθηνών Κορίνθου!!! 4,5 ώρες…. και που είσαι ακόμα! Ντροπή pic.twitter.com/KVi5cZFdDE
— ANNA (@amikropoulou) August 17, 2023
Traffic was halted since around 12:30-13:30 noon, when a tanker-truck transporting liquefied gas caught fire in Kakia Skala on the Athens-Corinth hghway.
Early Thursday evening, the Fire Service announced that the transfer of the liquefied gas from the truck had began.
A team of specialists is handling this particular task due to the flammable nature of the cargo that is 7.5 tones.
Σε εξέλιξη η διαδικασία μετάγγισης επικίνδυνου φορτίου από βυτιοφόρο όχημα στο 46ο χλμ της Ν.Ε.Ο. Αθηνών – Κορίνθου. Σχετικό δελτίο τύπου: https://t.co/abed2VAs6y
— Πυροσβεστικό Σώμα (@pyrosvestiki) August 17, 2023
The traffic on the new Athens-Corinth highway has been closed from the 39th km in the direction towards Corinth, from the Elefsina toll booths in the direction towards Corinth, and from the 57th km in the direction towards Athens.
Road traffic is also closed in the old Athens-Corinth motorway from the Elefsina toll booths up to Kinetta in both directions.
Νέα Εθνική οδός Αθηνών Κορίνθου Τώρα pic.twitter.com/wRBaWQzm8i
— pipikos® (@PipikosA) August 17, 2023
At some point, traffic of vehicles were diverted on the old National Highway but, ultimately both roads were closed.
Early evening police was pictured distributing water to the stranded and troubled motorists.
Passengers of Proastiakos incl.children and elderly, have been trapped for over “4.5 hours in the train and they haven’t even offered us some water,” the complained to news website 902.gr.
One passenger told 902.gr there is no information about what will happen, Police are generally absent but also the Hellenic Train has not made any announcement to send buses to pick up the trapped passengers..
The passenger also said that two ambulances moving in the Emergency Lane due to the heavy traffic were also trapped on the National highway.
In particular, there is a stoppage of traffic on the old National Road from the height of the Elefsina Toll Road to Kineta in both traffic streams.
Passengers complained to 902.gr, they have no information from Hellenic Train,