CNN
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Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis has apologized for one of many nation’s worst prepare crashes in years, saying “We can’t, is not going to, and should not cover behind human error.”
A passenger prepare carrying greater than 350 individuals collided with a freight prepare on Tuesday night in Tempi, close to the town of Larissa, killing a minimum of 57 individuals and injuring scores extra.
In a press release, Mitsotakis stated it shouldn’t be attainable for 2 trains shifting in reverse instructions “to be on the identical observe and never be seen by anybody.”
“As prime minister, I owe everybody, however above all to the kinfolk of the victims, an enormous sorry. Each personally, and within the title of all those that dominated the nation for years,” Mitsotakis stated.
The reference to human error marks a change of tone from the prime minister. Within the aftermath of the collision he blamed “tragic human error.”
His newest assertion although prompt systematic issues within the Greek railway community, promising bulletins within the coming days to “instantly enhance the protection of the railways.”
On Thursday after a prepare station supervisor was arrested in Larissa in reference to the collision, Greek authorities made public dispatch recordings revealing that one of many prepare drivers concerned had obtained directions to disregard a crimson gentle.
Greece has a poor document of railway passenger security in contrast with different international locations in Europe, recording the very best railway fatality fee per million prepare kilometers from 2018 to 2020 amongst 28 nations on the continent, in accordance with a 2022 report from the European Union Company for Railways.
The pinnacle-on collision left toppled carriages and scorched particles in its wake. A lot of these on board had been younger individuals returning residence from a vacation weekend.
Recent protests broke out on Sunday over the crash, the nation’s transport minister resigned within the wake of the tragedy and a rail staff’ union went on strike, accusing the federal government of neglecting the system.