Outrage and Protests Erupt Following Deadly Train Collision in Greece

Outrage and Portest are arising after a deadly train collision in Greece. Two trains have collided in northern Greece, killing at least 57 people and injuring dozens of others. Here’s what we know about the incident and the protests so far.

Between 2018 and 2020, Greece had the highest rate of rail-related deaths per train kilometers traveled, and in 2021 it ranked second highest among all European Union countries.

Freight Train collision in Greece

On Tuesday, just before midnight, a passenger service transporting approximately 350 individuals collided with a freight train. Just shortly after departing from Larissa, resulting in a crash. The occurrence took place when the passenger train exited a tunnel situated in the municipality of Tempi.

The first four carriages of the passenger train were derailed, and the first two caught fire and were “almost completely destroyed“, – Thessaly regional governor Kostas Agorastos says.

Following the collision, a train station manager in Larissa was taken into custody in relation to the incident. Greek authorities released recordings on Thursday showing a train driver being instructed to ignore a red light.

Outrage and protest erupt after this deadly train collision

  • Student and worker unions arranged a demonstration outside the central Athens headquarters of the Greek rail company Hellenic Train. Resulting in protesters gathering, on that Thursday evening.
  • More than 2,000 people protested for a second day in Athens and Thessaloniki, shocked by the disaster near the city of Larissa.

Police already had a presence outside the Hellenic Train headquarters before the demonstrators arrived. After clashes between demonstrators and police on Wednesday, the protest that followed was peaceful.

Rail workers blame the administration for this incident

https://twitter.com/ProfessorBoz/status/1630816053130326017?s=20

Rail workers held a one-day strike on Thursday following the disaster, blaming government neglect. Greek train services were halted on Thursday due to a strike by workers. They believe that inadequate management of the network by successive administrators played a role in this deadly collision.

Train drivers also say there have been long-running problems with the electronic systems that are supposed to warn them of danger ahead.

How many casualties were there in this collision?

At least 57 people died and dozens more were injured, some of them seriously. “Passenger train involved was about two-thirds full with many young people on board” – according to Reuters.

On Wednesday, over 150 firefighters, along with 17 vehicles and four cranes, participated in the search operation. As of Thursday, rescue workers were still searching for victims in the burned and twisted carriages. Local media have reported that more than 10 people remain missing.

Conclusion

  • Tuesday night’s crash resulted in a notable rise in the number of rail-related deaths that the country has witnessed in the previous decade. As per data from the EU.
  • The majority of rail accidents and fatalities in Greece in the five years to 2021 resulted from accidents such as pedestrians being hit by trains. Two fatalities occurred as a result of train collision accidents during this timeframe.

This was everything about the outrage and protest after the deadly train collision in Greece. Spiel Time‘s deepest condolences to all affected and hope the death toll doesn’t rise.


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