Larissa station, in Greece, was the target of police searches on Friday morning as part of the investigation into the causes of the collision between two trains that killed at least 57 people on Tuesday, the police spokesman said.
“It is part of the investigation. The police have seized (…) all documents that may help the investigation,” said the spokesman for Tuesday’s accident, which is attributed to an error by station master Larissa, the nearest city the crash site.
A judicial source also explained to Agence France Presse (AFP) that the aim of the investigation is to “open criminal charges, if necessary, against members of the administration” of the Hellenic Train Company, the Greek railway company owned by the Italian public company Ferrovie Dello. Stato Italian (FS).
It also confirmed that “audio files, documents and other evidence that may help clarify the case and assign criminal responsibilities” have been seized.
The government issued its ‘mea culpa’ on Thursday over the ‘chronic’ disruptions of the rail network that led to the tragedy, one of Greece’s most serious to date.
Justice wants to understand how a train with 342 passengers and 10 railway employees was allowed to follow the same single track as a freight train that collided head-on.
In fact, the trains ran for several kilometers on the same track, which connects Athens to Thessaloniki (north), the two largest Greek cities, before colliding head-on just before midnight on Tuesday.
Authorities admit that the number of fatalities could rise.
Tuesday’s accident also left more than 100 injured, 48 of whom are still in hospital, the majority in the central town of Larissa.
Greek Transport Minister Costas Karamanlis resigned after the accident and his replacement was ordered to open an independent inquiry into the causes.
Source: DN
