“They sacrifice safety because it has a cost” – What flammable solvents did experts find in Tempe

Speaking to MEGA, expert Giorgos Perivoliotis referred to the findings of experts at the site of the Tempe railway tragedy, where two trains collided resulting in the death of 57 people.

According to the experts’ tests at the time in March 2023, traces of xylene and other flammable solvents were detected in small quantities, while during the second sampling in October 2023, the above elements were not found.

“This shows that what was found in March was not an environmental issue that may exist in the area, but they existed because of the specific event”, emphasized expert Giorgos Perivoliotis, adding that if the first sampling had been done earlier than March 29, 2023 then it would show more items.

“This ignition in this area and duration, i.e. an area with a diameter of 70-80 meters and a duration of about 6 seconds, cannot simply come from the materials of the trains”, added Giorgos Perivoliotis.

“They sacrifice safety at a cost”

For his part, the president of the OSE workers’ union, Nikos Tsikalakis, emphasized to MEGA that in a large part of the railway, and specifically in the Lianokladi – Larissa section, remote control does not exist, due to the disasters caused by the bad weather Daniel.

“After the accident, the project completion part left ERGOSE and was taken over exclusively by OSE, things moved faster. We don’t really have an estimate of the development, if the organizational charts would be completed as they were defined by the ministry, because the bad weather Daniel intervened, which has cut off a section in central Greece from Domokos to Larissa, around 45 kilometers, it has literally destroyed it,” he said Nikos Tsikalakis.

Then the president of the OSE union added that “today there is no remote control in that part. Today, the visual image that my colleagues have is from Athens to and beyond Lianokladi and from Larissa to Thessaloniki, we are missing the part in question, there has been a great disaster”.

Among other things, he mentioned that in order for the GSM-R and ETCS systems to work, they should be present in addition to the infrastructure and on the trains.

The expert Giorgos Perivoliotis on the same subject argued that “ETCS is one of the safest systems, it stops the trains by itself. Infrastructure is needed both on the tracks and on the trains above. That they have not been implemented in such depth, the European Union said, management companies face high costs and therefore do not proceed. We don’t have the security we need, because they sacrifice security for what it costs.”

“Why this rush to destroy the crime scene?”

Retired Brigadier General Thanasis Katerinopoulos spoke of tragic mistakes and omissions in the Tempe case.

“We have a fire mushroom. Who can believe it wasn’t flammable? Rest assured she would not be legal, because if she was legal she would not have been put on a train to come to Athens, she would have been put in a barrel. I believe that train drivers do not know what loads they are carrying”, said Thanasis Katerinopoulos.

Among other things, he pointed out that the area where the train tragedy occurred should be blocked off for as long as necessary rather than being bombarded, citing a cover-up.

“Why this rush to destroy the crime scene? They cemented the whole area for what? They wanted to hide something and that was illegal. Some did it who have a reason and a role and positions in this society,” he concluded.

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Karystianou: In the examination, several incriminating statements and statements from the accountable politicians emerged

The mother of the deceased 20-year-old Marthis, Maria Karystianou, speaking to voria.gr, emphasized that the commission of inquiry revealed several incriminating statements and positions from the responsible politicians.

“Of course we also saw several responsible – irresponsible not knowing, not remembering, not knowing anything. This blatantly guilty presentation was the most important thing in the whole inquiry process. Finally, the way they stopped it so hastily and without calling the now key witnesses to avoid further revelations indicates that the investigative committee did not go exactly as they imagined”, Maria Karystianou further underlined.

The names of the 57 dead of Tempe written in front of the Unknown Soldier were erased

The names of the 57 victims of the Tempe railway tragedy were written in red paint, in front of the monument of the Unknown Soldier, by demonstrators of yesterday’s strike rally.

However, on Wednesday night, crews from the municipality of Athens hurried to clean up the place where the names were written.

Speaking to MEGA, the Deputy Mayor for Cleanliness of the Municipality of Athens, Roxani Bei, emphasized that the municipal crews clean the specific spot every time after the marches.

“I was informed yesterday and I also saw it on social media. Generally the cleaning crews after marches and every day, wash the spot. No special crews went, let’s make that clear. I was also on the course and had not seen this issue. I hadn’t even talked to a crew,” said Roxani Bey.

Afterwards, the Deputy Mayor of Cleanliness asserted that “there the crew goes steadily, they didn’t call me to ask me to ‘turn it off or not to turn it off’.” The workers went to the site at 23:30, the time they usually go. I understand the reactions but I am explaining the usual practice. There was no other special communication.”

Finally, the Deputy Mayor of Cleanliness pointed out that the crews “always go after marches, they didn’t go specifically”.

Watch the MEGA report: