Greek communities around Australia have issued statements of condolences to Greece after a deadly train crash on Tuesday near Larissa killed at least 43 people, many of them students, and left many more injured.
The two trains — a passenger train carrying 342 people and travelling from Athens to Thessaloniki, and a cargo train from Thessaloniki to Larissa — collided head-on at Tempi late on Tuesday.
Witnesses who rushed to the scene described the front two carriages of the passenger train, where most of the student victims were seated, as being completely destroyed.
By midmorning on Wednesday, rescuers were continuing to search for the missing and 35 bodies had been taken to the general hospital in Larissa. Some were burned beyond recognition, forcing relatives to give DNA samples.
Greece’s Prime Minister, Kyriakos Mitsotakis, rushed to the scene at Tempi on Wednesday and called a three-day period of official mourning, ordering flags to fly at half mast. He said it appears the crash was “mainly due to a tragic human error.”
In a statement, the Greek Orthodox Community of New South Wales (GOCNSW) expressed “its deep sorrow and sympathy to the Greek people for the unspeakable tragedy they are experiencing.”
“It was announced that it was human error, but who will be able to ease the pain of so many families who lost their loved ones and mostly young people, mainly students returning to Thessaloniki,” the GOCNSW statement adds.
“We call on the Greek Government to take all necessary measures so that we do not again mourn victims for safe public and cheap rail transport.”
The Greek Orthodox Community of Melbourne also issued a statement on Facebook and said: “our thoughts are with all of you.”
In their statement, The Greek Orthodox Community of South Australia (GOCSA) extended its condolences to the families and victims of the Tempi train disaster and said the Community will lower all Greek flags on its building to half mast “as a sign of respect during the mourning period.”
In Sydney and Perth in Western Australia, the Greek Consulates have lowered their Greek flags to half mast in memory of the victims of the train crash in Greece.
Archbishop Makarios of Australia also issued a statement on Tuesday and said he was “deeply shocked by the tragic train collision that occurred in our homeland of Greece.”
“All Greeks of Australia as a whole mourn and suffer together with the Greek people, who are experiencing moments of unspeakable pain and suffering,” the Archbishop added.
These statements come as leaders across the world expressed their grief in the aftermath including Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and the President of the People’s Republic of China, Xi Jinping.
