Greek rail disaster report cites errors and major systemic failures
ATHENS, Greece (AP) — A long-awaited report on the investigation into Greece's deadliest train crash was released Thursday, blaming human error, outdated infrastructure and major systemic failures for the head-on collision that killed 57 people two years ago.
The 178-page report was issued on the eve of a general strike and mass protests planned for the second anniversary of the Feb. 28, 2023 crash, fueled by public anger over the slow pace of a separate judicial inquiry.
The independent investigative committee found that a routing mistake by a station master sent a passenger train onto the same track as an oncoming freight train. The collision, which killed 46 passengers and 11 staff including both train drivers, occurred near Tempe, 375 kilometers (235 miles) north of Athens.
Investigators also highlighted poor training, staff shortages and a deteriorating railway system that lacked automated safety controls, noting a chronic lack of public investment during the 2010-18 financial crisis.
The findings were published by the Hellenic Air and Rail Safety Investigation Authority.
Authority director Christos Papadimitriou told The Associated Press that many safety improvements remain unfinished.
'An accident doesn't occur by chance,' he said. 'There are accumulating factors that contribute to the accident, because humans also tend to make mistakes.'
He added: 'The Greek railway system didn't have in 2023 — it doesn't have today, too — the safety systems needed so that if one or two persons together make a mistake, such was the case in Tempe with the train driver and the station master, there would be mechanisms that won't allow this accident to happen.'
The government said that it would respond to the 'very serious shortcomings and understaffing and underfunding,' but added that claims made by opposition parties that it had hindered the investigation had been shown to be false.
'A cover-up is a very serious allegation and this is not (demonstrated) at any point in these findings,' government spokesman Pavlos Marinakis said. The government is deploying 5,000 police to patrol Athens Friday with public demonstrations planned and a general strike expected to halt or disrupt flights, ferries, public services and commercial activity.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Rep. Mikie Sherrill wins Democratic primary for NJ governor, AP projects
TRENTON - Rep. Mikie Sherrill will win the Democratic primary race for New Jersey governor, AP projects, claiming victory over a crowded and competitive field of prominent current and former officeholders. The moderate congressional Democrat will fight to keep the Garden State blue as she faces Republican winner Jack Ciattarelli in the November general election. Because the New Jersey gubernatorial race is one of the first major elections since Donald Trump's return to the White House, there's a tremendous amount at stake simply through public perception. This is a breaking news update. Watch live election coverage in the media player above, and stay with us as this story develops. Sherrill, a former federal prosecutor and U.S. Navy helicopter pilot, was the establishment, left-of-center candidate in a crowded field of Democratic contenders. Most of her campaign messaging had leaned on her military experience and being able to handle conflict. "I learned early on: In a crisis, the worst thing you can do is freeze," she said. "You have to choose to lead," Sherrill has represented the 11th District, which includes parts of Essex, Morris and Passaic counties, since her 2018 election during President Donald Trump's first administration's midterm. Sherrill flipped the district from Republican control with former Rep. Rodney Frelinghuysen's retirement and has been reelected three times since. Sherrill raised $2.8 million during the primary election, placing her among the top House fundraisers in the country. Before getting elected to Congress, she was a prosecutor for the U.S. Attorney for the District of New Jersey. She served in the Navy from 1994 to 2003. Born in Alexandria, Virginia, the 53-year-old now lives in Montclair, New Jersey with her husband. She is also a mother of four. During an interview with NJ Now, she said she would address the state's affordability issues by building more housing, investing in community solar to lower utility costs, and holding the grid operator PJM accountable.
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Jack Ciattarelli wins NJ Republican primary for NJ governor, AP projects
TRENTON - Jack Ciattarelli, the Trump-endorsed former state assemblymember, wins the Republican primary race for New Jersey governor, AP projects. Ciattarelli will fight to flip New Jersey red in the November election to replace incumbent Gov. Phil Murphy. Because the New Jersey gubernatorial race is one of the first major elections since Donald Trump's return to the White House, there's a tremendous amount at stake simply through public perception. This is a breaking news update. Watch live election coverage in the media player above, and stay with us as this story develops. Jack Ciattarelli, a moderate establishment figure in the Republican field, is making his third bid for New Jersey governor. Ciattarelli, a former member of the state's Assembly, initially ran for the New Jersey Governor's office in 2017 – he came in second place in the Republican Party gubernatorial primary, with 31% of the vote. His second attempt in 2021 proved more successful; Ciattarelli won the Republican Party gubernatorial primary, but lost the general election to incumbent Murphy. He received 48% of the vote to Murphy's 51%. In his third run, he received an endorsement from President Trump, even though he's received accusations of being a "never-Trumper" from the party's far right. His campaign focused on New Jersey's affordability crisis – his plan includes capping property taxes at 1% of a home's assessed value and reducing state spending by 30%. Ciattarelli has pledged to end New Jersey's Immigrant Trust Directive on his first day in office, allowing local police to cooperate with federal officials on civil immigration matters. He also plans to direct the attorney general to cease lawsuits against the Trump administration. In an NJ Now interview, Ciattarelli expressed willingness to work with President Trump while maintaining the ability to oppose policies detrimental to the state.
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
California governor says 'democracy is under assault' by Trump as feds intervene in LA protests
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Calling President Donald Trump a threat to the American way of life, Gov. Gavin Newsom depicted the federal military intervention in Los Angeles as the onset of a much broader effort by Trump to overturn political and cultural norms at the heart of the nation's democracy. In a speech Tuesday evening, the potential 2028 Democratic presidential candidate said the arrival of National Guard and Marine troops in the city at Trump's direction was not simply about quelling protests that followed a series of immigration raids by federal authorities. Instead, he said, it was part of a calculated 'war' intended to upend the foundations of society and concentrate power in the White House. 'California may be first, but it clearly will not end here. Other states are next,' a somber Newsom warned, seated before the U.S. and California flags. 'Democracy is next. Democracy is under assault before our eyes. This moment we have feared has arrived.' As head of the heavily Democratic state known as the epicenter of the so-called Trump resistance, Newsom and the Republican president have long been adversaries. But the governor's speech delivered in prime time argued that Trump was not just a threat to democracy, but was actively working to break down its guardrails that reach back to the nation's founding. ″He's declared a war. A war on culture, on history, on science, on knowledge itself," Newsom said. 'He's delegitimizing news organizations, and he's assaulting the First Amendment.' Newsom added that Trump is attacking law firms and the judicial branch — 'the foundations of an orderly and civil society.' 'It's time for all of us to stand up,' Newsom said, urging any protests to be peaceful. 'What Donald Trump wants most is your fealty, your silence, to be complicit in this moment. Do not give in to him.' His speech came the same day that Newsom asked a court to put an emergency stop to the military helping federal immigration agents, with some guardsmen now standing in protective gauntlet around agents as they carried out arrests. The judge chose not to rule immediately, giving the Trump administration several days to continue those activities before a hearing Thursday. Trump has activated more than 4,000 National Guard members and 700 Marines over the objections of city and state leaders, though the Marines have not yet been spotted in Los Angeles and Guard troops have had limited engagement with protesters. They were originally deployed to protect federal buildings. Newsom's speech capped several days of acidic exchanges between Trump and Newsom, that included the president appearing to endorse Newsom's arrest if he interfered with federal immigration enforcement. 'I think it's great. Gavin likes the publicity, but I think it would be a great thing,' Trump told reporters. Over the years, Trump has threatened to intercede in California's long-running homeless crisis, vowed to withhold federal wildfire aid as political leverage in a dispute over water rights, called on police to shoot people robbing stores and warned residents that 'your children are in danger' because of illegal immigration. Trump relishes insulting the two-term governor and former San Francisco mayor — frequently referring to him as Gov. 'New-scum' — and earlier this year faulted the governor for Southern California's deadly wildfires. Trump has argued that the city was in danger of being overrun by violent protesters, while Newsom and Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass have called the federal intervention an unneeded — and potentially dangerous — overreaction. The demonstrations have been mostly concentrated in the city's downtown hub. Demonstrations have spread to other cities in the state and nationwide, including Dallas and Austin, Texas, Chicago and New York City, where a thousand people rallied and multiple arrests were made. Trump left open the possibility of invoking the Insurrection Act, which authorizes the president to deploy military forces inside the U.S. to suppress rebellion or domestic violence or to enforce the law in certain situations. It's one of the most extreme emergency powers available to a U.S. president. 'If there's an insurrection, I would certainly invoke it. We'll see,' he said from the Oval Office. Michael R. Blood, The Associated Press
