Opposition parties have strongly criticized the ruling New Democracy government over the Tempe train disaster, which claimed 57 lives, accusing it of delays in delivering justice and urging citizens to participate in nationwide protests on Sunday.
PASOK leader Nikos Androulakis, in a Facebook post, expressed concerns about the erosion of public trust in institutions and directly held Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis responsible, accusing him of attempting to obscure the issue under a “vast veil of cover-up.”
“Citizens are disillusioned. The growing crisis of trust in institutions is evident as the distinction between executive power and the judiciary continues to erode, especially in cases like the Tempe tragedy,” Androulakis stated.
“Mitsotakis did not respond the other day, which is not surprising. New Democracy had already responded months ago with its warm applause for Kostas Karamanlis (Minister of Transport). Justice and truth are the oxygen of democracy,” he added.
SYRIZA’s press spokesperson, Giorgos Karameros, also accused the government and Mitsotakis of attempting to cover up their responsibilities in the tragedy.
“From the very beginning, the New Democracy government and Prime Minister Mitsotakis personally tried to obscure the truth about the Tempe tragedy. They will not succeed,” he said, demanding that all expert reports be submitted to Parliament immediately.
The New Left echoed these criticisms, accusing the government of a “cover-up” of the Tempe disaster, while the leader of the Movement for Democracy, Stefanos Kasselakis, called for unity in the pursuit of justice. “Truth and vindication transcend political affiliations,” he emphasized.
In Serres, the General Secretary of the Communist Party (KKE), Dimitris Koutsoumbas, joined a protest held in Eleftherias Square.
The latest call for answers comes after audio evidence leaked this week indicated that some 30 of the 57 victims of the crash were still alive after the Thessaloniki-bound intercity passenger train collided head-on with a freight carrier that was traveling on the same line in the opposite direction.
It appears from the recent event, that these passengers died later, possibly as a result of asphyxiation or burns, as the collision caused a massive explosion and a fire. According to experts consulted by the families, the commercial train may have been carrying flammable materials that were not mentioned in the cargo report.