A bomb detonated outside the Hellenic Train offices in Athens, Greece, at approximately 21:35 local time on Friday. Hellenic Train is the private railway company in Greece which operates passenger and freight trains on OSE lines.
Greek authorities had been alerted about a bomb roughly 35-40 minutes prior by an anonymous caller who contacted a daily newspaper. The caller explicitly stated that a bomb had been placed at the location and warned those he called that “it is not a joke.”
Upon receiving the warnings, Greek police was informed and they swiftly cordoned off a significant section of the normally-congested Syngrou Avenue, a major avenue in Athens linking the city center to the coastal area.
Credit: George Vitsaras, AMNA
In particular, the Greek police blocked the section between Athanassiou Diakou and Kallirois Streets. A specialized bomb disposal unit was dispatched to the scene trying to assess the situation.
Eyewitnesses reported seeing a scooter parked outside the Hellenic Train HQ building, secured to a pillar with a lock and without license plates. A travel bag was also reportedly observed on the scooter. Due to the very short time frame between the phone call and the detonation, bomb specialists were unable to conduct a controlled explosion. The device exploded at the time indicated by the anonymous caller.
According to initial reports from the police, there were no injuries resulting from the blast. Six firefighters with two vehicles were also present at the scene as a precautionary measure. Criminal investigation squads are currently conducting their on-site assessments.
Why were the Hellenic Train HQ targeted?
The incident took place amidst a period of heightened public anger surrounding railway safety in Greece, following the second anniversary of the tragic Tempi train crash in February 2023, which resulted in 57 people tragically losing their lives.
This unfathomable disaster exposed significant safety deficiencies within the Greek railway system and sparked considerable public outrage of the government’s handling of the aftermath, with the majority of the public opinion fearing a governmental cover-up. Just hours before the explosion, the Greek parliament held a debate regarding the government’s response to the tragedy and the prosecution of a cabinet minister for his handling of the situation.
While investigations are in their early stages, Greece has a history of politically motivated violence, often involving smaller extremist, particularly linked to the Far-Left, groups.
Condemnation following bomb explosion at the heart of Athens
Here’s the English translation of the Greek text, with necessary grammatical adjustments for natural flow:
Greece’s Deputy Minister of Infrastructure and Transport, Konstantinos Kyranakis, stated: ”Today’s attack on the headquarters of Hellenic Train is an act of violence that cannot and must not have a place in a democratic society. We condemn it. The path to Justice and the immediate assignment of responsibility does not go through the terrorism of an explosive device that targeted ordinary citizens and workers.”
Hellenic Train also condemned the attack.
“Our company unequivocally condemns all forms of violence and tension, which ignite a climate of toxicity that undermines all progress,” Hellenic Train states in its announcement regarding the explosion. Furthermore, it emphasized that “this method of expression has no place in society. We will continue to defend dialogue, cooperation, solidarity and justice with courage.”
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