Under Greek law, the station master could face a sentence of 10 years in prison to life imprisonment for that crime.
The chief, who was in control of signaling at the Larissa station, where the disaster took place, has already pleaded guilty to negligence. This was reported by a spokesman for the Greek government last Thursday.
Lawyer: client is ‘devastated’ by the case
The man’s lawyer says that the decision to detain the station master is not unexpected, given the importance of the case. He added that his client is “devastated” by the case and that he has told the judge the truth “without fear.”
In addition, he emphasizes that “there are important new elements in the case that need to be investigated.”
A passenger train and a freight train collided head-on in the night from Tuesday to Wednesday. This happened at the Greek town of Larissa, on one of the most important railway lines in the country.
A huge explosion followed and a fire broke out, probably from the explosion of oil in the braking system. Several carriages derailed, with the front two of the passenger train ‘almost completely’ destroyed. The train collision killed 57 people.
Yesterday, Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis asked the victims of the train crash and their relatives for forgiveness via social media. He wrote: “To everyone, especially the relatives of the victims, I say sorry, in the name of all the people who have ruled the country for many years.”
Riots in Athens
Since the accident, things have been restless in Greece. Riots broke out at a demonstration in Athens yesterday. According to unions, the accident was unavoidable due to years of lack of maintenance. The state and the transport company are held responsible by many Greeks for the drama.
