Findings from the draft report on the Tempi train disaster, that left dozens dead and shocked Greece, shed light on the first moments after the deadly collision and the reasons behind the explosions that followed.
The initial findings are part of the final report of the National Organization for the Investigation of Aviation and Railway Accidents and Transport Safety (EODASAM) regarding the Tempi tragedy, scheduled to be presented on February 27.
The draft decodes the incidents prior to the collision of the two trains (a passenger and a freight train), how they collided and the reasons behind the two explosions that followed.
According to the draft, there is no evidence of a tank with a capacity of several tons or a hidden wagon in the freight train. However, it is expected that the final report will be substantiating the presence of between 3.5-4 tons, possibly aromatic hydrocarbons, on the third wagon of the freight train, which was engulfed in flames after the collision.
The draft also claims that the small leakage of silicone oils from the transformers on the first two wagons of the freight train, was not capable to create the explosions after it collided with the passenger train. The finding is supported by evidence that the transformers have only sustained a few cracks.
The draft further states that so far, none of the three foreign research centers (University of Pisa, Ghent University and the Swedish Institute) that have been commissioned to investigate the crash have a final conclusion on the type of cargo that caused the explosions. However, all three institutions have validated the most suitable methodology (Computational Fluid Dynamics) that can yield reliable conclusions if the correct parameters (humidity, wind speed etc) are taken into account.
However, according to a report in Real News, Ghent University researchers have been able to determine that the first wagon of the freight train (located directly behind the locomotive) was carrying volatile hydrocarbons. The substances, likely xylene and toluene, were stored in a tank, with an estimated weight of about 3.5-4 tons.
Tempi train disaster sends thousands to the streets two years after the crash
On January 26, tens of thousands of Greeks across the country took to the streets to protest against the government’s delay in concluding who was responsible for the Tempi railway disaster that resulted in the deaths of 57 people.
The mass demonstration in Athens’ Syntagma Square, along with rallies across Greek cities and islands, and in major cities worldwide, was held in response to the call of the victims’ relatives of the Tempi railway tragedy. For two years, the Association of Relatives of the Victims has demanded justice while accusing the government of attempting to cover up the incident.
The thousands who protested are confident that the railway disaster was not an accident but a crime. They accuse Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, former Minister of Infrastructure and Transportation Kostas Karamanlis, and other officials of a cover-up following the event.
Victims’ family members assert that the Tempi railway disaster is not an accident, but a crime committed by the government. They claim that the government acted hastily to cover it up and tampered with evidence, thereby stalling the investigation and failing to address the families’ inquiries.
Greek officials, including the Prime Minister himself, have been dismissing allegations of a cover-up.
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