Relatives of the victims of the Tempi train disaster gathered in court on Wednesday, calling for accountability and justice three years after Greece’s deadliest railway accident.
The hearing, held in Larisa, had already been delayed once due to disorganisation during its initial opening. As proceedings resumed, many families once again struggled to gain access to the courtroom, with entry restricted to officially registered participants.
Several relatives expressed frustration over limited seating, noting that police occupied multiple rows while families were left unable to properly follow the trial. Defence lawyer Zoe Konstantopoulou called for the sessions to be recorded to ensure transparency, given the restricted access.
The tragedy, which occurred in February 2023, involved a passenger train traveling from Athens to Thessaloniki that collided head-on with a freight train near Tempi. Most of the 57 victims were students. Some are believed to have died after a fire broke out following the initial impact.
Often referred to in Greece as a symbol of systemic failure, the disaster has been widely linked to allegations of negligence and institutional shortcomings. A total of 36 individuals are currently facing trial, with 33 at risk of life imprisonment if convicted. The case is expected to be lengthy, involving around 350 witnesses.
Among those who lost their lives was Anastasia Plakias, a 20-year-old student returning to university after a public holiday. Her death, along with that of her twin cousins, has become emblematic of the human cost of the disaster.
Investigations revealed that both trains had been on the same track for several minutes before the collision, a failure attributed in part to human error. A station master is among those on trial, alongside other railway officials and two former employees of Ferrovie dello Stato.
The incident sparked nationwide protests and raised serious concerns about railway safety. According to Laura Kövesi, the crash might have been avoided if European Union funds allocated for modernising the rail system had been properly used.
Criticism intensified after the crash site was cleared shortly after the incident, a move experts say may have destroyed key evidence. Authorities, however, have denied any attempt to cover up the circumstances.
Despite the public outcry, Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis remained in office following the tragedy and has since called for patience as the judicial process unfolds.
The trial itself is being held in a newly renovated venue designed to handle the scale of the case, which includes over 60,000 pages of evidence and around 200 legal representatives. However, overcrowding during earlier sessions raised concerns about safety and proper access for victims’ families.
For many, the absence of political figures among the accused remains a point of contention. Families continue to demand full accountability, insisting that responsibility extends beyond those currently on trial.
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