Greek transportation minister resigned after 36 dead in Greece head-on train collision

The Greek minister of transportation resigned Wednesday following a head-on train collision in which 36 people were killed. 

Minister Kostas Karamanlis said it was his "duty" to step down "as a basic indication of respect for the memory of the people who died so unfairly." 

The collision occurred overnight between a freight and passenger train and injured roughly 85 others.

Earlier in the day, the station master was arrested and two people were detained for questioning, in apparent connection to the accident, the cause of which as of late Wednesday morning remained unknown.

Police arrested the stationmaster in the city of Larissa, according to the Associated Press.

The person arrested has been further identified only as a 59-year-old male.

The trains collided at a high speed just before midnight Tuesday, near Tempe in northern Greece.

Rescuers searched before dawn for survivors in the wreckage of the multiple derailed cars and at least three cars that burst into flames.

Many of the roughly 350 passengers on the train were students who attended a three-day carnival festival preceding Lent.

Danielle Hodes contributed to this story.