"Apologizes to Victims' Families" Greek Prime Minister Expresses Regret Over Train Collision Disaster

Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis apologized for the recent train collision accident.

In a message to the nation posted on Facebook on the 5th (local time), Prime Minister Mitsotakis said, "As the Prime Minister, I especially ask for forgiveness from the victims' families," and added, "I owe a debt to everyone."

He emphasized, "In 2023, two trains heading in different directions cannot run on the same track, and no one can be unaware of this," adding, "We cannot hide behind mistakes, nor should we."

Just before midnight on the 28th of last month, a passenger train carrying 350 people traveling from Athens to Thessaloniki collided head-on with a freight train going from Thessaloniki to Larisa in Greece. Nearly 60 people died in the accident. In Greece, anger is spreading rapidly as the government and the railway company are accused of neglecting the aging railway system, causing the tragedy. Protests have been held across the country, and railway and subway unions have launched a 24-hour strike.

Earlier, Prime Minister Mitsotakis visited the accident site and described it as a "tragic accident caused by human error." Greek police arrested the Larisa stationmaster, who sent the passenger train onto the wrong track, on charges of negligent homicide, and Kostas Karamanlis, the Minister of Transport, resigned taking responsibility for the disaster.

However, as public sentiment boils over due to this typical "man-made disaster," protests across Greece have not subsided. On Sunday, the 4th, more than 7,500 people, including students and railway workers, held a protest in central Athens, during which clashes with the police also occurred.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.