Tempe, Greece – Greece was brought to a standstill during a general strike commemorating the second anniversary of the country’s worst rail disaster, with 346 protests held in Greece and abroad.
Government services, banks, and businesses were closed on Friday. Ships did not sail, trains did not run, and no planes departed or arrived in Greece – a shutdown not witnessed since the days of the country’s bankruptcy following the 2009 financial crisis.
An independent accident report released on Thursday highlighted a series of chronic equipment failures and human errors within the Greek railway system that led to a fatal collision between a northbound passenger train and a southbound freight train in the Tempe gorge in northern Greece, resulting in the deaths of 57 people.
Many of the victims were young individuals returning to university in Thessaloniki after a weekend break. The tragedy at Tempe has become a symbol of perceived state incompetence and lack of accountability among many Greeks.
Nikos Plakias, the father of two students who lost their lives, described the incident as a crime rather than an accident. He expressed hope that politicians would be held accountable for their actions.
The Hellenic Air and Rail Safety Investigation Authority pointed out that Greece had a poor rail safety culture and outdated practices, which were exacerbated by mismanagement during the financial crisis. A contract funded by the European Union to enhance safety measures across the rail network had not been fully implemented, raising suspicions of mismanagement of funds.
The investigation also revealed a series of human and technical failures at the Larissa station, where the tragic collision occurred. The stationmaster’s lack of proper training, malfunctioning equipment, and failure to follow safety protocols were all contributing factors to the disaster.
Furthermore, allegations of an attempted cover-up by the ruling conservative New Democracy party were raised, as evidence at the crash site was reportedly mishandled, leading to the loss of crucial information.
The government’s hasty actions following the accident, including the removal of debris and remains from the site, raised suspicions of a potential cover-up to avoid chemical analysis of residues left by the fire that occurred post-collision.
Overall, the Tempe rail disaster has not only highlighted the systemic failures within the Greek railway system but has also sparked calls for accountability and justice for the victims and their families. “Otopsi di lokasi kecelakaan tidak dilakukan dengan cara yang benar untuk dapat mengidentifikasi kemudian jenis bahan bakar yang diangkut dan menyebabkan bola api,” kata Bernd Accou, salah satu penyelidik.
Dua laporan resmi yang dirilis pada tahun 2023 dari Pemadam Kebakaran Hellenic dan Kementerian Infrastruktur dan Transportasi menyalahkan kebakaran pada minyak silikon yang bocor dari gulungan trafo lokomotif.
Kerumunan berkumpul di Lapangan Syntagma di depan Parlemen pada Jumat untuk memprotes penanganan kecelakaan kereta [John Psaropoulos / Al Jazeera]
Keluarga korban tidak percaya itu dan memerintahkan studi kimia mereka sendiri, yang menunjukkan adanya residu potensial xilena, pelarut mudah terbakar yang digunakan dalam cat, vernis, dan tinta.
Api hanya membunuh lima hingga tujuh korban, kata penyelidik, tetapi dugaan penutupan telah menjadi titik sorot kemarahan di kalangan publik, yang menuduh pemerintah lebih berusaha melindungi loyalis yang tidak kompeten daripada menyediakan transportasi yang aman.
Sikap pemerintah sejak awal adalah upaya untuk menyembunyikan hal-hal di tingkat politik dan hubungan masyarakat karena ini terjadi pada 1 Maret dan pada 16 Mei kami memiliki pemilihan umum,” kata Plakias. “Pemerintah takut akan dampak politik dan berperilaku dengan cara yang amatiran.”
Tubrukan dengan kecepatan gabungan 240 kilometer per jam (150 mil per jam) begitu keras, sehingga menghancurkan lokomotif dan enam kereta pertama kereta penumpang, kata para ahli.
Hal ini karena lokomotif kereta penumpang dan kereta barang yang datang bertabrakan, mengekspos gerbong restoran kereta penumpang ke tabrakan sekunder dengan gerbong datar yang membawa plat baja. Itu di gerbong restoran api terbakar paling lama dan paling hebat, laporan penyelidikan mengatakan.