ATHENS (GREECE) (ITALPRESS/MNA) – Several protests are taking place in Greece due to the train crash in which 43 people died and 72 were injured. Local media reported that more than 10 people are still missing as Greece observes three days of national mourning.
The families provided DNA samples to help in the identification efforts, with the results expected on Thursday. Rescuers are still going through burnt and deformed carriages, looking for the victims.
Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis’s reaction that “tragic human error” was to blame for the incident caused great anger. Many see it as a long overdue incident.
The protests took place in front of the headquarters of the company responsible for the maintenance of the Greek railways, Hellenic Train. Other protests were also held in Thessaloniki and in the city of Larissa, near where the disaster occurred on Tuesday night. On Wednesday, demonstrators clashed with police outside the headquarters of Hellenic Train in Athens.
The Greek government has said that an independent investigation is underway to bring justice. Meanwhile, the Greek transport minister Kostas Karamanlis resigned. He resigned after visiting the scene of the tragedy stating that he cannot continue as if nothing had happened.
Most of the 350 passengers on board were 20-year-old students returning to Thessaloniki after a weekend celebrating Greek Orthodox Lent.
A station chief from Larissa, 59, was charged with manslaughter. He denied these allegations and blamed it on a technical failure.
Members of the railway unions believed that the railways’ safety systems were not working properly and said that there had been repeated warnings about this situation for many years.
Meanwhile, railway workers across Greece have begun a one-day strike that has blocked national rail services and the Athens Metro.

– photo Freepik –

(ITALPRESS).

Source: medNews