In Greece, there is not only sadness, but also outrage after last week’s serious train accident. More and more details come to light and show a flaw along the entire route. In particular, the station master, who made the crucial mistake and sent the passenger train down the wrong tracks, raises many questions. According to reports, the man should not have been trained due to being 59 years old and completely overworked. He also held the important post at the train station without experienced colleagues.
The man is now in custody and is charged with manslaughter and negligent bodily injury, among other things. However, people feel that “human error” alone is not enough as a reason for tragedy. Over the past 20 years, governments have neglected Greek railways and railway workers have repeatedly complained about the lack of safety precautions.
Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis apologized extensively on social media to everyone, but especially to the victims’ families, admitting that “we cannot hide behind human error”. The accident would have been virtually impossible if the electronics had worked. He promised improvements and new trains, as well as a special committee on the failures of the past 20 years. However, hundreds of people gathered again on Sunday morning in Syntagma Square in central Athens, opposite the Parliament, to protest against the situation.