Greece's transport minister has stepped down over Tuesday's deadly train collision in the country.

A passenger train and a freight train crashed head-on in the central town of Tempe. Police and fire authorities said on Wednesday that 38 people have so far been confirmed dead in the accident. Some cars burst into flames after the collision.

The officials said they are continuing the search for the missing.

Infrastructure and Transport Minister Kostas Karamanlis announced his resignation on Wednesday. He said he was taking responsibility for the long-lasting errors of the Greek political system.

The country's media reported that police arrested the stationmaster of the station managing operations in an area including the accident site. The reports said he is accused of negligence resulting in death and other charges.

The local media also said traffic lights and the system to oversee train operations had not functioned.

A report on railway safety released by the European Union last year says Greece's death toll from train accidents per a travel distance of 1 million kilometers stood at five times the average for the bloc.