Greece Train Tragedy: Arrested Station Master Admits “SRM” Mistake – The Dangerous Beacon Of Hope In Fighting Climate Crisis

The first is identifying the victims. Many of the bodies were burned and can only be identified by DNA analysis, so the number of casualties is likely to rise. Tattoos and clothing also served as important clues in the search for the identity of the victims, Greek media report.

At the same time, the investigation into the causes is in full swing. The station master, who was in charge of the train station in the town of Larisa in central Greece on Tuesday night, is said to have admitted setting the switches wrong.

“I made a mistake and sent the passenger train on the same track as the oncoming freight train,” the 59-year-old railway worker reportedly reported on Wednesday evening, citing police circles. . The man had already been arrested in the morning.

But that should not be the end of the investigation. Shortly after the serious accident, railway workers and their unions criticized that the electronic control system on the Athens – Thessaloniki route did not work for a long time. Therefore, the station masters are responsible for coordinating the trains almost by hand.

In a speech to the country, Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis assured people on Wednesday evening that the circumstances of the accident would be fully clarified. Everything indicates that it is mainly due to a “tragic human error”. An independent, impartial commission must clarify why the necessary modernization of the Greek railways has not taken place in recent years.

Transport Minister Kostas Karamanlis had resigned earlier. He feels obliged to take responsibility for the mistakes of the Greek state. That was the least to show respect to the families of the victims, he justified the step.

According to consistent reports, the victims are mainly young people. Many had come from a long weekend break and were on their way to the university in Thessaloniki.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken sent his country’s condolences to Greece. He stressed that the United States stands with the Greek people in this difficult time. (sda/dpa)