Greek PM apologizes to nation for deadly train crash; stationmaster ordered held
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Loading... - Irene Floris
- 06 Mar 2023
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Massive protests erupt across nation, demanding action on broken rail system
Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis apologized Sunday for the train crash last week that killed at least 57 people, vowing to fix the nation's broken rail system while the stationmaster charged in the crash made his first court appearance.
Massive protests continued across the country to demand action after Mitsotakis said human negligence had likely caused the crash, which led him to announce a plan to overhaul the railway system in recent days.
"As prime minister, I owe everyone, but above all the relatives of the victims, a big SORRY," Mitsotakis wrote on Facebook. "In the Greece of 2023, it is not possible for two trains to run on opposite sides of the same track without anyone noticing."
Mitsotakis, who is seeking re-election this spring, said he plans to appoint an independent committee to investigate the deadliest train disaster in the country's history.
"We can't, won't and shouldn't hide behind human error," Mitsotakis said, vowing to seek help from Brussels, the EU and other international sources for funding and engineering.
"I will immediately ask the European Commission and friendly countries for their contribution to know-how so that we can finally obtain modern trains," said Mitsotakis. "And I will fight for additional community funding to quickly maintain and upgrade the existing network."
Elsewhere, the stationmaster testified before a panel of magistrates in Larissa -- where the doomed train made its last stop -- for more than seven hours Sunday as the first wave of funerals were held for some crash victims. Read More…
