Greece (Brussels Morning Newspaper) – Two years after Greece’s deadliest rail disaster in Tempi, Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis has admitted that the freight train involved may have been carrying illegal or toxic cargo, contradicting his earlier denials.
The backstory – What happened?
Greece is still in shock, grief, and outrage over the fatal train catastrophe that occurred in Tempi on February 28, 2023. Numerous young students were among the 57 people killed in the collision between a passenger train and a freight train in the town of Tempi in central Greece. Dozens more were injured.
The incident, which has been called the deadliest rail accident in Greek history, revealed structural flaws in the country’s safety procedures and railway infrastructure. Nationwide protests, demands for accountability, and a worsening political crisis have all been triggered by the tragedy in the weeks following the crash. Two years later, a trial is yet to start and keeps getting postponed by delays in the investigation.
The allegations of a cover-up
Initially, investigations pointed to human error as a primary cause, with allegations that the stationmaster on duty had improperly allowed the two trains to occupy the same track. However, it quickly became clear that the accident was the result of deeper, long-standing issues, including outdated signalling systems, underinvestment in rail infrastructure, and a lack of modern safety protocols.
Within 24 hours of the disaster, authorities began the process of covering the crash site with a substantial amount of soil and debris. This rapid “filling in” of the area, which included the removal of around 300 cubic meters of earth, has been seen as highly unusual and controversial. According to the information presented on the tv channel MEGA by Vasilis Lampropoulos, on January 31, 2025, there are two police testimonies that speak of pressure from government officials to allow this.
The police officers have provided the names of the individuals who participated in a meeting held three days after the accident, during which they were pressured to restart the railway operations as soon as possible. Specifically, the participants included Christos Triantopoulos, the then Deputy Minister to the Prime Minister responsible for state assistance and natural disaster recovery, Giannis Xifaras, the Secretary General of the Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport, and Kostas Agorastos, the then Regional Governor of Thessaly.
More than that, there have been suspicions that the cargo the freight train carried was not only highly toxic but also illegal. A year after the tragic incident, audio recordings of calls to 112 saw the light of day. These recordings capture the desperate last moments of passengers on board, many of whom were heard crying out for help after the collision.
It was also confirmed by the report of expert investigator Vasilis Kokotsakis, in collaboration with Manolis Papadakis, that several passengers survived the collision with the freight train but met an untimely death in the fire that followed. According to the report, based on forensic reports and documents, the passengers who survived the train collision but died due to the fire and its consequences were 27.
The protests two years later
Today, two years after the crash, the families still do not have answers. On Sunday, January 26, massive protests were held in Athens, Thessaloniki, and more than 100 cities in Greece and abroad including London, Amsterdam and Berlin. Tens of thousands of people, among them students, railway workers, and ordinary citizens, marched under the banners “We won’t forget” and “I have no oxygen,” the latter echoing a victim’s final words during an emergency call. In the protest in Syntagma Square in Athens, the leaders of many opposition parties such as PASOK, SYRIZA, New Left, and Plefsi Eleftherias, were also present.
The demonstrators, led by victims’ relatives, accused the government of a cover-up, faulty investigations, and deflecting blame. Despite ongoing judicial investigations, no one has been held accountable, leading to public frustration over the perceived neglect of the rail network and the slow pace of promised reforms.
According to the announcement shared by the president of the Association of Relatives of the Tempi Victims, Maria Karystianou, the Association demands: “an immediate investigation into the explosion of the illegal chemical cargo and the fire that burned our loved ones alive,” as well as “explanations from Mr. Tasoulas (President of the Hellenic Parliament) before his swearing-in to the highest office regarding the burial of the Tempi case files in the drawers of Parliament.”
Moreover, student protests are set to take place on February 7, on top of the general strike that is going to happen on February 28, on the anniversary of the Tempi accident.
The Prime Minister’s admission
Due to the mounting pressure, Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis granted an interview to the tv channel Alpha on January 29. Interestingly enough, Mr. Mitsotakis appeared far less resolute in his understanding of the events surrounding the Tempi tragedy than he had been in his firm denials of government accountability over the past two years.
Commenting on the fact that he had previously stated that the freight train did not carry illegal flammable material which could have caused the explosion, he said that today “there is no certainty,” that “many possibilities remain open,” and that “the only one who will ultimately evaluate the evidence and say, yes, I have reasonable grounds to believe that this train may have been carrying something else, and therefore must pursue the relevant charges, and from there on, everyone must do what they have to, is the appellate judge.”
It is particularly notable that when asked about the causes of the explosion created by the collision of the two trains—an explosion he had previously attributed to the ignition of silicone oils from the engines—he admitted:
“Fifteen days after the accident, based on the information available to me at the time, I had stated that this freight train was not carrying anything suspicious. And why was I absolutely certain at that moment? Because that is what I had been assured by those involved: Hellenic Train, in response to a question in Parliament, the Fire Department, and OSE (the railway organization). A year later, however, I said that all possibilities remain open. […] But I also want to emphasize that I have always stated that the appointment of a second expert by the prosecutor was appropriate because we need an answer. What may have seemed like an improbable scenario back then may ultimately prove to be likely.”
Within this context, when asked whether it would be problematic if it turned out that the freight train was carrying illegal cargo, the Prime Minister stressed that:
Hellenic Train, which is responsible, must be held accountable—criminally accountable, though that is obviously not my role—but also politically accountable. Because it was Hellenic Train that reassured not just me, but the Hellenic Parliament as well. And I would like to remind you that this statement was made two weeks after the accident. So, if you ask me whether I regret what I said or whether I made a mistake, I will tell you outright: with what I know today, I obviously would not have said then what I did.
Additionally, Minister of State Akis Skertsos said in a television interview on January 31:
Does anyone claim that smuggling does not happen in Greece? Obviously not, because smuggling happens everywhere. I cannot know if smuggling occurs on the railway. What I do know is that the competent authority, the Independent Authority for Public Revenue (AADE), has significantly increased inspections through customs authorities and has raised the corresponding fines by 180%.
This statement was particularly alarming, as it suggested that smuggling has become an anticipated, almost inevitable occurrence—one that, hopefully was absent in this instance. However, if proven to be true, it is important to bear in mind that this pertains organized smuggling, happening on a regular basis, involving the national railway and massive profits for those facilitating it.
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