Football fans die in traffic collision on road trip to Romania
On 27 Jan, a minivan carrying 10 fans of the Greek football club PAOK Salonika collided with an oncoming truck in a horrific crash.
According to the Greek City Times, seven passengers in the van lost their lives as a result of the accident.
Fans were travelling to a Europa League match
The fans were en route to a Europa League match in Lyon, France, where PAOK Salonika was scheduled to play on 29 Jan.
Before the fatal crash, the minivan was travelling on a highway in Romania, just before 1pm.
A short video shared by X user @daily_romania showed the black minivan attempting to overtake a vehicle on a two-lane expressway.
Midway through merging into the right lane, the minivan suddenly halted and re-entered the left lane, placing it directly in the path of oncoming traffic.
Source: @daily_romania on X
Unable to brake in time, the oncoming vehicle collided with the minivan, sending debris and bodies across the road and into the surrounding field.
Source: @daily_romania on X
Emergency services were swiftly deployed. Three survivors were hospitalised, with two remaining in critical condition at the time of writing.
Investigators are examining the scene and wreckage to determine the cause of the accident.
Source: @thecasualultra on X
Country mourns the loss of fans
Later that day, Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis expressed his condolences on Facebook, sharing his deep sorrow over the tragedy.
“I extend my sincerest condolences to the families of the victims and to the PAOK family, with the shared hope that the injured recover quickly. Our thoughts are with them,” he wrote.
He also mentioned that the Greek embassy and government are in close contact with local authorities to offer support.
Football club PAOK echoed these sentiments, reaffirming their commitment to assisting the affected families.
A tribute for the deceased fans will be held during PAOK’s Europa League match in Lyon on Thursday (29 Jan).
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Featured image adapted from @daily_romania on X and @thecasualultra on X.Â
