On 28 February, 2023, 57 people died in Greece after a passenger train collided head on with a freight train in Tempi, 375 kilometres north of Athens. The majority of the deaths were young students, returning to Thessaloniki after a holiday break.
The investigation into the disaster has unearthed evidence of human errors, outdated infrastructure, and a lack of safety features.
Two years later, Greek citizens are still demanding accountability from the government and sweeping reforms to make public transit safer.
HARSIA Report Unconvers Partial Truth
Hellenic Air and Rail Accident Investigation Authority released a highly anticipated report after the two year anniversary of the incident. This report identified several human errors and factors leading up to the disaster.
The crash was found to be preventable and a result of human error. An undertrained stationmaster at the understaffed Larissa station accidentally routed the passenger train onto the same track as a freight train, while both were travelling in opposite directions.
A massive explosion resulting from the crash killed an estimated five to seven victims, with the rest believed to have perished during the collision. This explosion may have been caused by an “unknown” substance, with traces of highly flammable chemicals like xylene and benzene being found at the site.
When emergency responders arrived at the scene, their lack of coordination led to further chaos.
According to the HARSIA report, the lack of communication at the site of the incident meant that each service operated under its own orders, with no collaboration or interaction at the organisational level.
Due to this systemic incompetence, no proper mapping of the crash site was performed. One of the culprits responsible for the tragedy may also be Greece’s decaying railway systems.
During the Greek financial crisis, austerity led to severe underinvestment in infrastructure, understaffed stations, and railway standards below the European average.
Demands for Justice Widespread Go Global
The preventable nature of the disaster has drawn outcry from citizens. The two year anniversary of the crash sparked further protests across Greece as well as in cities, with a large Greek diaspora, such as London.
Slogans and hashtags popular at the protests include #28_February, #Tempi, and ‘I have no oxygen’– referring to the chilling last words of one victim at the scene of the accident.
According to Georgios Vachtsevanos, a Greek resident in London and born in Thessaloniki, Greece's second largest city near the site of the crash, "The protest that happened on the 28th of February was one of the largest I have ever seen... it happened everywhere, in multiple countries, and there was a official strike.
"The protests symbolise disenchantment with the Greek government's alleged cover-up of the train crash disaster, police brutality at public protests, and growing class consciousness in Greece."
Pent up anger over the injustice resulted in violent protests in Athens late last week, with protesters hurling Molotov cocktails at police and setting fire to rubbish bins. In Greece, a nationwide strike after the 2 year anniversary of the crash also brought public transit and services to a standstill.
In the weeks following the tragedy, Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis pledged to improve railway safety in the country as well as invest €270 million in rail reform.
A ‘Cover-Up’: Greek Government Efforts
However, 2 years later, many citizens still feel unsatisfied. Relatives of victims killed in the crash are criticising the government for not initiating an investigation into the political responsibility for the incident.
Greeks are sceptical about government efforts to come clean on the disaster; there are many Greeks dead whose stories are untold due to government clean-up operations on the railway tracksm, following the disaster, and law changes on 'tempering evidence'.
Some have even accused the authorities of a cover up, pointing out that the site was covered in gravel after the crash.
With opposition parties supporting a probe into the government, more may come to light regarding the accident. The incident has caused widespread unrest and political instability in Greece.
As pressure mounts, the handling of the tragedy continues to spark public outcry and calls for justice, with the future of both the Greek government and public safety hanging in the balance.
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