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Protesters write a slogan in front of the Greek parliament reading “Down with the government of murderers” during a students’ demonstration over Greece’s worst rail tragedy that killed 57 people, in Athens, on March 9, 2023.
| Photo Credit: AFP
Greek prosecutors on Thursday charged three more railway officials in connection with the country’s worst train crash that killed 57 people, as the prime minister vowed “absolute transparency” in the probe into the tragedy.
Public anger has soared since the February 28 head-on collision in central Greece, with tens of thousands demonstrating nationwide on Wednesday.
The stationmaster on duty at the time of the accident, who allegedly directed both trains onto the same track by mistake, was charged several days ago.
On Thursday, a rail supervisor responsible for staff rotas — who allegedly put the inexperienced stationmaster on night duty during a busy holiday period — was charged, a judicial source told AFP.
Two other stationmasters, who allegedly left work early, were also charged. All three face counts of negligent manslaughter, causing bodily harm and transport disruption, and could face life in prison if convicted.
With anger growing at long-running mismanagement of the rail network, Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis opened his first cabinet meeting since the crash by vowing “absolute transparency in the investigation to uncover errors”.
The conservative leader, who is expected to run for re-election in the coming months, also promised “immediate actions to improve the problematic situation in the railways”.
He vowed to “move heaven and Earth” to ensure improvements to safety systems were completed.
“We are all responsible for this, we must be brave enough to admit it,” said Mitsotakis in televised remarks.
On Wednesday, huge crowds took to the streets in the biggest protests yet since the crash, calling for justice for the victims and for the government to resign.
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