Nearly two years after Greece’s deadliest train crash, tens of thousands gathered in Athens and cities across Greece and abroad on Sunday, demanding justice for the 57 victims of the February 2023 Tempe rail disaster. The crash occurred when a freight train and a passenger train, carrying many students, collided near Larissa, triggering a fire that burned for over an hour.
The Athens protest, among the largest in recent years, saw banners reading “We won’t forget” and chants of “Murderers, murderers” in Syntagma Square. Demonstrators rallied under the slogan “I have no oxygen,” echoing a victim’s final call for help.
Recent leaked audio recordings suggest some victims may have survived the initial impact but succumbed to the fire, whose origin remains unknown. A judicial investigation is ongoing, with families accusing authorities of negligence and a cover-up. Experts have ruled out electricity cables or train oils as the fire’s cause, raising questions about the freight train’s cargo.
The re-election of the center-right government, which denies accusations of neglect, has further angered grieving families. The nomination of former parliament speaker Constantine Tassoulas for the Greek presidency has been criticized by victims’ relatives, who say he failed to investigate political responsibility for the disaster.
Maria Karystianou, representing victims’ families, vowed justice, stating, “Let the crime at Tempe be the beginning … because that’s what the entire society wants.”
Nikos Plakias, who lost family members in the crash, said, “We will always have questions … and if we need to reach the European courts, we will.”
While the protests were largely peaceful, brief clashes erupted in Athens as police fired tear gas to disperse parts of the crowd.
A report by experts commissioned by families highlights the crash’s devastating impact and lingering questions. The public continues to demand accountability, with the unresolved case becoming a symbol of systemic failures and negligence in Greece’s railway system.
