The trial over Greece’s horrific Tempe train crash was adjourned on Monday and will resume on April 1. The proceedings have faced multiple interruptions, including objections over courtroom conditions.
Held in the central city of Larissa, the trial was stopped soon after it began when defence lawyers strongly reacted as the judge read out the names of the defendants.
The lawyers have questioned the suitability of the specialty arranged courtroom at the conference centre hosting the trial.
The 2023 train crash at Tempe, in central Greece, killed 57 people. The train, carrying mostly students from Athens to Thessaloniki, collided head-on with a freight train which caused a deadly explosion. The crash revealed significant safety gaps in Greece’s rail system.
36 defendants, including a station master and railway officials, face charges which range from disrupting rail traffic resulting in deaths to negligent manslaughter and bodily harm. No political figures are on trial.
More than 350 witnesses, including survivors, victims’ relatives and railway workers, are expected to testify.
The trial began against a backdrop of protests and a nationwide rail workers’ strike, which they said honoured the victims and demanded accountability. Crowds assembled outside the court in Larissa, calling for justice and improved transport safety.
Investigations revealed that a European Union-funded safety system project, launched in 2014, was still years behind schedule when the crash occurred. Families of the victims have also accused authorities of trying to conceal evidence.
The government denies any wrongdoing but has vowed to deliver justice and fully modernise the railway system by 2027.
Source: Kathimerini
