(CNN) Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis has apologized for one of the country’s worst train accidents in years, saying “we cannot, will not and must not hide behind human error.”
A passenger train carrying more than 350 people collided with a freight train in Tempi near the town of Larissa on Tuesday evening, killing at least 57 people and injuring dozens more.
Protesters took to the streets after the fatal crash, with widespread anger at the country’s rail safety record. Fresh unrest broke out on Sunday as protesters clashed with police in Athens in scenes expected to be seen across the country.
“This crime should not be covered up, we will be the voice of all the dead,” was one of the slogans during Sunday’s protests in Athens.
In a statement, Mitsotakis said it should not be possible for two trains going in opposite directions “to stand on the same track and not be noticed by anyone”.
“As Prime Minister, I owe everyone, but especially the families of the victims, great sympathy. Both personally and on behalf of all those who have ruled the country for years,” Mitsotakis said.
The reference to human error marks a change of tone from the Prime Minister. After the collision, he blamed “tragic human error”.
However, his latest statement pointed to systematic problems in the Greek railway network and promised announcements in the coming days to “immediately improve the safety of the railways”.
On Thursday, after a Larissa station manager was arrested in connection with the collision, Greek authorities made public dispatch records showing that one of the train drivers involved had been instructed to ignore a red light.
Greece has a poor record of rail passenger safety compared to other countries in Europe, and had the highest rail death rate per million train-km from 2018 to 2020 among 28 nations on the continent, according to a 2022 report by the European Union Railway Agency.
The head-on collision left overturned train cars and burned debris in its wake. Many of those on board were young people returning home from a bank holiday weekend.
The country’s transport minister resigned after the tragedy and a rail workers’ union went on strike, accusing the government of neglecting the system.