Greek Transport Minister Kostas Karamanlis has resigned following a train accident near the city of Larisa. On Wednesday, March 1, the publication reports Kathimerini.
In his statement, the minister noted that he had visited the site of the crash, and noted that the Greek railway does not correspond to the level of the 21st century. He also said that over the past 3.5 years, the Ministry of Transport has tried to do everything to improve the situation in the railway industry, but these efforts were not enough to prevent a catastrophe.
“It is very difficult for all of us and for me personally. When something so tragic happens, it’s impossible to go on living like it never happened. I have been involved in politics for several years, but I consider it a necessary condition for democracy that the citizens of our country trust the political system,” the minister said.
According to Karamanlis, for this reason he decided to resign. The minister also explained his decision with a sense of duty, respect for the memory of the dead and the desire to “take responsibility for the eternal mistakes of the Greek state and political system.”
A major rail accident occurred in Greece on March 1st. Not far from the city of Larisa, two trains, passenger and freight, which were moving towards each other, for some unknown reason ended up on the same track. As a result, a collision occurred, and then a fire started.
The latest figures put the death toll at 38. Another 85 were injured, 72 of them were hospitalized (six are in intensive care units). Authorities expect the number of casualties to rise as several people are trapped in the first carriages of a passenger train. Rescue work is underway there.
There were a total of 354 people on the two trains (342 passengers and 12 employees).
Earlier that day, the head of the Hellenic Trains railway station was arrested in Greece. He is primarily responsible for the accident. During the interrogation, he explained what caused the tragedy, and also why two trains were moving for an hour on the same track in the opposite direction.
Currently, the investigation is investigating whether the cause of the accident was a technical malfunction or a human factor.
