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The Sun
19-06-2025
- Politics
- The Sun
Greek ex-transport minister to be investigated over train tragedy
ATHENS: Greece's parliament voted Thursday to investigate a former transport minister over the country's worst rail tragedy that left 57 dead in 2023. Government lawmakers approved the probe into the actions of Kostas Karamanlis, who has welcomed the investigation as an opportunity to clear his name. Fifty-seven people, most of them young students, were killed in February 2023 when a passenger train and a freight train collided in Tempe, central Greece, having been allowed to run on the same track for 12 minutes. The tragedy sparked sweeping strikes and hundreds of protests in Greece and abroad. Karamanlis, a member of one of Greece's most influential political families, told lawmakers that he would 'never forget' the night of the accident. He insisted he had done 'everything' in his power to improve the state of Greek railways. 'I did not neglect, I did not ignore the railways, quite the opposite,' Karamanlis said during the debate that began Wednesday. 'I too want justice... I fully support the proposal' to set up a special inquiry committee, he added. A parliamentary committee will now examine whether Karamanlis should be referred to justice for breach of duty, a misdemeanour-level offence. Opposition parties, who had sought criminal charges for Karamanlis, accused the conservative government of seeking to 'launder' its responsibilities by backing a probe into a lesser charge. Some parties had sought to implicate Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis himself. Taking the floor on Wednesday, Mitsotakis dismissed as 'disgraceful' a proposal by leftist and far-right parties to have him investigated for high treason. Over 40 people have been prosecuted over the collision, including the station master responsible for routing the trains that night. Lawmakers already voted to refer a former junior minister, Christos Triantopoulos, to justice on possible misdemeanour charges for breach of duty in connection with the aftermath of the accident. Opposition parties say Triantopoulos, who was dispatched by the prime minister to the scene after the accident, authorised the bulldozing of the crash site, which led to the loss of vital evidence. Triantopoulos denies wrongdoing. Greece's intercity trains came under private management in 2017, when state-owned Greek rail operator TrainOSE was privatised and sold to Italy's Ferrovie dello Stato Italiane, becoming Hellenic Train. In April, a bomb exploded outside Hellenic Train's offices, without causing any injuries.
Time of India
19-06-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Greece Launches Investigation into Former Transport Minister Following Deadly Train Collision
Representative AI image Greece's parliament voted Thursday to investigate a former transport minister over the country's worst rail tragedy that left 57 dead in 2023. Government lawmakers approved the probe into the actions of Kostas Karamanlis, who has welcomed the investigation as an opportunity to clear his name. Fifty-seven people, most of them young students, were killed in February 2023 when a passenger train and a freight train collided in Tempe, central Greece, having been allowed to run on the same track for 12 minutes. The tragedy sparked sweeping strikes and hundreds of protests in Greece and abroad. Karamanlis, a member of one of Greece's most influential political families, told lawmakers that he would "never forget" the night of the accident. He insisted he had done "everything" in his power to improve the state of Greek railways. "I did not neglect, I did not ignore the railways, quite the opposite," Karamanlis said during the debate that began Wednesday. "I too want justice... I fully support the proposal" to set up a special inquiry committee, he added. A parliamentary committee will now examine whether Karamanlis should be referred to justice for breach of duty, a misdemeanour-level offence. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like What She Did Mid-Air Left Passengers Speechless medalmerit Learn More Undo Opposition parties, who had sought criminal charges for Karamanlis, accused the conservative government of seeking to "launder" its responsibilities by backing a probe into a lesser charge. Some parties had sought to implicate Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis himself. Taking the floor on Wednesday, Mitsotakis dismissed as "disgraceful" a proposal by leftist and far-right parties to have him investigated for high treason. Over 40 people have been prosecuted over the collision, including the station master responsible for routing the trains that night. Lawmakers already voted to refer a former junior minister, Christos Triantopoulos, to justice on possible misdemeanour charges for breach of duty in connection with the aftermath of the accident. Opposition parties say Triantopoulos, who was dispatched by the prime minister to the scene after the accident, authorised the bulldozing of the crash site, which led to the loss of vital evidence. Triantopoulos denies wrongdoing. Greece's intercity trains came under private management in 2017, when state-owned Greek rail operator TrainOSE was privatised and sold to Italy's Ferrovie dello Stato Italiane, becoming Hellenic Train. In April, a bomb exploded outside Hellenic Train's offices, without causing any injuries.
The Sun
17-06-2025
- Politics
- The Sun
Greek rail drivers strike over safety concerns
ATHENS: Greek rail drivers on Tuesday held a 24-hour strike to demand sweeping safety improvements, ahead of a parliamentary vote on investigating top officials for the country's worst train tragedy, a 2023 collision that killed 57 people. The train drivers' union called for the 'immediate' installation of a train protection system known as ETCS and increased spending on modernising trains. Rail operator Hellenic Train said in a statement reduced services would continue to operate. Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis in April said a 15-month project was underway for a 'drastic' upgrade to train services, safety and quality. As part of the project, the prime minister told the cabinet the ETCS train protection system would be operational on 'every train' on Greece's main railway from Athens to Thessaloniki by September. Greek lawmakers on Wednesday are to vote on whether to investigate government ministers over the February 2023 train collision, which left 57 dead, mostly young students. A majority of at least 151 lawmakers is required to open an investigation into any of the officials. The accident occurred when a passenger train and freight train collided in Tempe, central Greece, after being allowed to run on the same track. It has sparked sweeping strikes and hundreds of protests in Greece and abroad. In April, a bomb exploded outside Hellenic Train's offices, without causing any injuries. Over 40 people have been prosecuted over the collision, including the local station master responsible for routing the trains. Lawmakers have already voted to refer a former junior minister, Christos Triantopoulos, to justice on possible misdemeanour charges for breach of duty in connection with the aftermath of the accident. Opposition parties say Triantopoulos, who was dispatched by the prime minister to the scene after the accident, authorised the bulldozing of the crash site, which led to the loss of vital evidence. Triantopoulos denies wrongdoing. Greece's intercity trains came under private management in 2017, when state-owned Greek rail operator TrainOSE was privatised and sold to Italy's Ferrovie dello Stato Italiane, becoming Hellenic Train.
Yahoo
18-05-2025
- Yahoo
Home of former Greek rail disaster probe chief attacked
An incendiary device exploded early Sunday outside the apartment block where a former senior state investigator probing Greece's worst train tragedy lives, police said. Athens News Agency reported that unidentified individuals had placed it at the entrance of the and that it had exploded shortly before 03:00 am on Sunday. The explosion caused minor material damage to the entrance and police found the remains of gas cannisters, firecrackers and duct tape. State security is investigating the incident at the building, which according to police sources is where Christos Papadimitriou, until recently head of the state accident investigation agency's railway sector, lives. Papadimitriou resigned early in April, citing "personal and family reasons", having said he had received threats over his work. That followed a row over statements he made about the fireball explosion that followed the devastating train collision of Tempe in 2023. Fifty-seven people, most of them young students, were killed in February 2023 when a passenger train and a freight train collided in Tempe, central Greece, having been allowed to run on the same track. But investigators say some those who died were killed not in the crash but by an 80-metre (260-feet) fireball that came after the collision. - 'Questionable' methodology - On February 27, Papadimitriou presented a report that indicated the "possible presence" of an "unknown fuel" that could have caused the fireball, a conclusion that has divided experts. In subsequent television interviews he said that European train safety officials had pressed for this conclusion to be included in the report, but that it required further investigation. "I received threats because I continued to look into it," he told Skai TV. The fireball theory was based on "questionable" methodology that was "not universally accepted" by experts, he added. Papadimitriou mentioned that there was an alternative theory that involved train engine silicone oils. If that theory turned out to be correct, then "all trains" running in Europe" could be "dangerous", he had warned. The disaster and its aftermath have sparked strikes and hundreds of protests in Greece and abroad this year. It has also led to two votes of no confidence in the conservative government, which the administration overcame. The train's Italian-owned operator Hellenic Train has denied knowledge of any illegal cargo on the freight train. Prosecutors have so taken action against more than 40 people over the accident, including the local station master responsible for routing the trains. A trial into the accident is not expected before the end of the year. Early in April, a bomb exploded outside the Athens offices of Hellenic Train, after anonymous calls to Greek media warned of the attack near one of the capital's busiest highways. No one was injured. kan/jj
Sky News AU
04-05-2025
- Sky News AU
Greek woman, 38, killed after bomb intended for bank ATM explodes in her hands
A 38-year-old Greek woman was killed Saturday when a bomb she was allegedly planning to plant at a bank detonated in her hands, police said. The explosion happened in the northern Greek city of Thessaloniki around 5 a.m., damaging several storefronts and vehicles as the bomb unexpectedly went off. 'It appears that she was carrying an explosive device and planned to plant it a bank's ATM,' a senior police official told Reuters. 'Something went wrong and exploded in her hands,' the official added. Police did not identify the woman publicly, but made note of her criminal history fueled with drugs and prostitution. She was also involved in at least one robbery, according to police. Authorities are investigating the incident, and whether the woman might have had ties to extreme leftist groups. Greece has a long history of politically motivated violence dating back to the 1970s, with domestic extremist groups carrying out small-scale bombings as well as new groups recently emerging. Saturday's explosion comes a month after a new extremist group called Revolutionary Class Struggle claimed responsibility for an explosion near the offices of railway company Hellenic Train, and the planting of another bomb near the Labor Ministry in early February — all part of an armed struggle against the state. With wires Originally published as Greek woman, 38, killed after bomb intended for bank ATM explodes in her hands
