Latest news with #AirandRailAccidentInvestigationAuthority
Al Arabiya
09-04-2025
- Politics
- Al Arabiya
Lead investigator of 2023 deadly Greek train crash resigns
The supervisor of Greece's national investigation into a 2023 train crash resigned on Wednesday, a move expected to further complicate efforts to shed light on the country's worst rail disaster that killed 57 people. According to opinion polls, most Greeks view the crash as emblematic of the neglect of the country's railways in recent decades and also of a persistent failure by the state to address safety concerns. The crash has prompted angry protests, fueled further by a lack of trust in institutions. Christos Papadimitriou, the head of the railway division at Greece's Air and Rail Accident Investigation Authority (HARSIA), stepped down days after a top court prosecutor ordered a probe into HARSIA's findings. In February, HARSIA said the safety gaps, which failed to prevent the head-on collision of a freight train and a passenger train on February 28, 2023, had not yet been fixed. It also found that a fireball that followed the collision could not have been caused by train equipment, generating doubts about the freight train's cargo as well as political wrangling. HARSIA decided this week to remove the section which refers to the causes of the fireball, after at least one of the foreign universities cited in its report said it had neither reviewed nor authorized the content. Greece's Supreme Court prosecutor ordered a probe into the developments to determine if there was an attempt to influence a judicial investigation which has been underway since 2023. HARSIA, an independent authority, was only set up in late 2023. It launched its probe in March 2024, more than a year after the crash, which meant it had to rely on others for much of its information. 'I tried to serve the public interest... in a difficult situation,' said Papadimitriou in his resignation letter, standing by HARSIA's main findings.
Yahoo
09-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Lead investigator of 2023 deadly Greek train crash resigns
ATHENS (Reuters) - The supervisor of Greece's national investigation into a 2023 train crash resigned on Wednesday, a move expected to further complicate efforts to shed light on the country's worst rail disaster that killed 57 people. According to opinion polls, most Greeks view the crash as emblematic of the neglect of the country's railways in recent decades and also of a persistent failure by the state to address safety concerns. The crash has prompted angry protests, fuelled further by a lack of trust in institutions. Christos Papadimitriou, the head of the railway division at Greece's Air and Rail Accident Investigation Authority (HARSIA), stepped down days after a top court prosecutor ordered a probe into HARSIA's findings. In February, HARSIA said the safety gaps, which failed to prevent the head-on collision of a freight train and a passenger train on February 28, 2023, had not yet been fixed. It also found that a fireball that followed the collision could not have been caused by train equipment, generating doubts about the freight train's cargo as well as political wrangling. HARSIA decided this week to remove the section which refers to the causes of the fireball, after at least one of the foreign universities cited in its report said it had neither reviewed nor authorised the content. Greece's Supreme Court prosecutor ordered a probe into the developments to determine if there was an attempt to influence a judicial investigation which has been underway since 2023. HARSIA, an independent authority, was only set up in late 2023. It launched its probe in March 2024, more than a year after the crash, which meant it had to rely on others for much of its information. "I tried to serve the public interest... in a difficult situation," said Papadimitriou in his resignation letter, standing by HARSIA's main findings.
Reuters
09-04-2025
- Politics
- Reuters
Lead investigator of 2023 deadly Greek train crash resigns
ATHENS, April 9 (Reuters) - The supervisor of Greece's national investigation into a 2023 train crash resigned on Wednesday, a move expected to further complicate efforts to shed light on the country's worst rail disaster that killed 57 people. According to opinion polls, most Greeks view the crash as emblematic of the neglect of the country's railways in recent decades and also of a persistent failure by the state to address safety concerns. The crash has prompted angry protests, fuelled further by a lack of trust in institutions. Christos Papadimitriou, the head of the railway division at Greece's Air and Rail Accident Investigation Authority (HARSIA), stepped down days after a top court prosecutor ordered a probe into HARSIA's findings. In February, HARSIA said the safety gaps, which failed to prevent the head-on collision of a freight train and a passenger train on February 28, 2023, had not yet been fixed. It also found that a fireball that followed the collision could not have been caused by train equipment, generating doubts about the freight train's cargo as well as political wrangling. HARSIA decided this week to remove the section which refers to the causes of the fireball, after at least one of the foreign universities cited in its report said it had neither reviewed nor authorised the content. Greece's Supreme Court prosecutor ordered a probe into the developments to determine if there was an attempt to influence a judicial investigation which has been underway since 2023. HARSIA, an independent authority, was only set up in late 2023. It launched its probe in March 2024, more than a year after the crash, which meant it had to rely on others for much of its information. "I tried to serve the public interest... in a difficult situation," said Papadimitriou in his resignation letter, standing by HARSIA's main findings. Reporting by Yannis Souliotis; Writing by Renee Maltezou Editing by Gareth Jones
MTV Lebanon
05-03-2025
- Politics
- MTV Lebanon
Greek minister faces probe into handling of deadly train crash after violent protests
The Greek parliament voted on Tuesday to set up a committee to investigate how a minister handled the aftermath of a deadly 2023 train crash, opens new tab, days after violent protests over a perceived lack of government accountability brought businesses to a halt. Hundreds of thousands of Greeks took to the streets on Friday to mark the second anniversary of the country's worst rail disaster that killed 57 people, most of them students, demanding justice for the victims. On Wednesday, fresh protests were scheduled outside parliament, where political leaders were set to debate responsibility over the rail tragedy. Opposition parties were likely to submit a censure motion against the government. A majority of 277 lawmakers in the 300-seat house backed the motion by the main opposition for the new committee. Deputy Civil Protection Minister Christos Triantopoulos, who was a state minister at the time of the crash, resigned from his post on Tuesday, to support the inquiry by parliament, the only body that can lift politicians' immunity and probe them. Parliament will investigate a potential breach of duty. Triantopoulos has denied any wrongdoing. A judicial investigation into the crash is in progress. Relatives of the victims have criticized the centre-right government, which won re-election after the crash in 2023 and has 156 parliamentary seats, for not initiating or supporting a parliamentary inquiry into political responsibility. They say that the authorities attempted to cover up evidence by laying down gravel at the scene soon after the crash. Triantopoulos, who was at the site after the incident, has dismissed the allegations as groundless. Christos Papadimitriou, head of the rail division of Greece's Air and Rail Accident Investigation Authority, an independent agency set up months after the crash, last week told the Kathimerini paper that authorities' ignorance and lack of experience were possible reasons for the loss of significant evidence from the scene.
Yahoo
05-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Greek minister faces probe into handling of deadly train crash after violent protests
ATHENS (Reuters) - The Greek parliament voted on Tuesday to set up a committee to investigate how a minister handled the aftermath of a deadly 2023 train crash, days after violent protests over a perceived lack of government accountability brought businesses to a halt. Hundreds of thousands of Greeks took to the streets on Friday to mark the second anniversary of the country's worst rail disaster that killed 57 people, most of them students, demanding justice for the victims. On Wednesday, fresh protests were scheduled outside parliament, where political leaders were set to debate responsibility over the rail tragedy. Opposition parties were likely to submit a censure motion against the government. See for yourself — The Yodel is the go-to source for daily news, entertainment and feel-good stories. By signing up, you agree to our Terms and Privacy Policy. A majority of 277 lawmakers in the 300-seat house backed the motion by the main opposition for the new committee. Deputy Civil Protection Minister Christos Triantopoulos, who was a state minister at the time of the crash, resigned from his post on Tuesday, to support the inquiry by parliament, the only body that can lift politicians' immunity and probe them. Parliament will investigate a potential breach of duty. Triantopoulos has denied any wrongdoing. A judicial investigation into the crash is in progress. Relatives of the victims have criticized the centre-right government, which won re-election after the crash in 2023 and has 156 parliamentary seats, for not initiating or supporting a parliamentary inquiry into political responsibility. They say that the authorities attempted to cover up evidence by laying down gravel at the scene soon after the crash. Triantopoulos, who was at the site after the incident, has dismissed the allegations as groundless. Christos Papadimitriou, head of the rail division of Greece's Air and Rail Accident Investigation Authority, an independent agency set up months after the crash, last week told the Kathimerini paper that authorities' ignorance and lack of experience were possible reasons for the loss of significant evidence from the scene.
