Two years after the deadly train collision in Tempi, Greece, the judicial investigation has become a flashpoint of controversy, with public opinion sharply divided. Key evidence related to the crash and the deaths of 57 passengers was never officially pursued by authorities—only to be discovered years later by private individuals.
Among the newly surfaced materials is crucial video footage, allegedly showing the cargo of the freight train involved in the collision with the passenger service. These recordings, uncovered two years after the tragedy, have reignited outrage among victims’ families, who have now filed lawsuits against the investigative judge handling the case.
On Thursday, forensic experts confirmed that the commercial train seen in three recently discovered videos is indeed the one that crashed. The footage, submitted to the court by lawyer Vasilis Kapernaros, has raised fresh concerns over the handling of the investigation.
Experts have stated that the cargo of the freight train matches official declarations, with no evidence of suspicious shipments. Their findings have been shared with the victims' families' legal representatives, while the investigative judge has forwarded them to the Directorate of Criminal Investigations for further analysis. Authorities are now planning to cross-check this evidence against newly seized surveillance footage and data from the company overseeing Greece’s railway network.
The emergence of these videos has intensified criticism of the investigation. Families of the victims have questioned their authenticity and accused officials of orchestrating a cover-up. Maria Karystianou, president of the Tempi 202 Association and mother of a crash victim, filed a lawsuit on Thursday against the lead investigator and other responsible parties, alleging that critical video and audio evidence was ignored and excluded from the case file.
Speaking outside the courthouse in Larissa, Karystianou condemned the sudden appearance of the videos, insisting that authorities had access to key footage for two years but failed to act. «This is a cover-up and a mockery», she declared.
Further fueling suspicions, Karystianou revealed that 649,000 video and audio files from February 28 and March 1—spanning the days surrounding the crash—were seized and handed over to the judge but were never included in the official investigation. She expressed disbelief that authorities were focusing on newly surfaced videos rather than analyzing the vast trove of evidence already in their possession.
Amid the escalating tensions, reports emerged on Thursday that Ioanna Klapa, President of Greece’s Supreme Court (Areios Pagos), received threats in connection with the Tempi train disaster case.
According to state broadcaster ERT, two threatening phone calls were made to her office, with one of them reportedly displaying the caller’s number. Sources indicate that both Klapa and Supreme Court prosecutor Georgia Adilini received death threats, while Klapa has also been targeted with threatening emails.
As the investigation takes a new turn, the revelations and allegations surrounding the case continue to fuel public anger, intensifying demands for accountability and justice.
