Greece Mourns Worst Rail Disaster in Decades, Station Manager Arrested
Greece is reeling in the wake of its worst rail disaster in decades, after a passenger train carrying around 350 people collided with a freight train near the city of Larissa on Tuesday.[0] On Wednesday, Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis declared that the incident was “mainly due to tragic human error.”[1] The country's federal Transportation Minister Kostas Karamanlis announced his resignation the same day, saying it was his “duty” to do so “as a minimum sign of respect” to the victims.[2]
At least 43 people were killed and 85 injured in the crash, which took place near the town of Tempe, about 255 miles north of Athens.[3] Many of the passengers were university students returning home after celebrating Carnival.[3]
The station manager of a train station in Larissa was taken into custody as part of the inquiry into the collision that occurred.[1] Supreme Court Prosecutor Isidoros Dogiakos has called on the investigating Larissa prosecutor to broaden his search in all directions to identify those responsible for the deadly rail collision.[4]
Protests against the neglect of the Greek railways erupted in Athens and other cities, with demonstrations in Thessaloniki and Patras turning violent when protesters began throwing stones and petrol bombs.[5]
Hellenic Train, which was among an array of public utilities privatised at the height of the country’s debt crisis, has long been criticized for staffing shortfalls and outdated equipment.[6]
The crash has left the nation in deep mourning and seeking justice for the victims.
0. “Hard Numbers: Greek train crash, US attaches strings to chip cash, Serbia and Kosovo outline peace, camel copies for sale” GZERO Media, 2 Mar. 2023, https://www.gzeromedia.com/hard-numbers-greek-train-crash-us-attaches-strings-to-chip-cash-serbia-and-kosovo-outline-peace-camel-copies-for-sale
1. “Anger boils over train crash in Greece, as audio released of driver being told to ignore red light” CNN, 3 Mar. 2023, https://www.cnn.com/2023/03/02/europe/greece-train-crash-larissa-protests-intl/index.html
2. “The Horrific Greek Train Tragedy” Rediff.com, 2 Mar. 2023, https://www.rediff.com/news/report/the-horrific-greek-train-tragedy/20230302.htm
3. “Dozens dead in Greek rail collision between passenger and freight trains” The Week, 1 Mar. 2023, https://theweek.com/accidents/1021411/dozens-dead-in-greece-in-high-speed-rail-collision-between-passenger-and-freight
4. “Anger Grows as Greece Counts Its Dead from the Train Disaster” Greek Reporter, 3 Mar. 2023, https://greekreporter.com/2023/03/03/anger-greece-train-disaster/
5. “Rescue and recovery efforts continue after Greece train collision kills dozens” CBS News, 1 Mar. 2023, https://www.cbsnews.com/video/rescue-and-recovery-efforts-continue-after-greece-train-collision-kills-dozens
6. “Greek train crash: effort to find bodies expected to end as anger grows” The Guardian, 3 Mar. 2023, https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/mar/03/greek-train-crash-effort-to-find-bodies-expected-to-end-as-anger-grows
