Greek prosecutors on Thursday charged three more railway officials in connection with the country’s worst train crash that killed 57 people, as the prime minister vowed “absolute transparency” in the investigation into the tragedy.
Public anger has been rising since the February 28 clashes in central Greece, with tens of thousands demonstrating across the country on Wednesday.
The station master on duty at the time of the accident, who allegedly steered two trains onto the same track by accident, was charged a few days ago.
On Thursday, the rail supervisor responsible for the staff rotation – who was accused of carrying out inexperienced station managers at night during the busy holiday season – was charged, a judicial source told AFP.
Two other station chiefs, who were accused of leaving work early, were also charged. All three are charged with involuntary manslaughter, causing bodily harm and disruption of transportation, and could face life in prison if convicted.
With growing anger over the long-running mismanagement of the rail network, Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis opened his first cabinet meeting since the accident by vowing “absolute transparency in the investigation to find fault”.
The conservative leader, who is expected to stand for re-election in the coming months, also promised “immediate action to improve the problematic situation on the rails”.
He vowed to “move heaven and earth” to ensure security system improvements are completed.
“We are all responsible for this, we must have the courage to admit it,” Mitsotakis said in televised remarks.
On Wednesday, large crowds took to the streets in the biggest protests since the crash, demanding justice for the victims and the government’s resignation.
mass protest
They waved banners that read “It’s not an accident, it’s a crime” and “You could be from us on that train” as clashes erupted in Athens and Greece’s second city of Thessaloniki.
Greek civil servants staged a 24-hour walkout while doctors, teachers and transport workers also went on strike on Wednesday.
There have been many calls for Mitsotakis to step down because of the tragedy.
The initial lawsuit against the stationmaster sparked public anger, and some saw it as an attempt to divert attention from chronic underfunding and rail mismanagement.
In his remarks on Thursday, the prime minister apologized again and said that “we … should not hide some human error”.
The cabinet meeting was the first since the accident and a period of national mourning.
Later Thursday, a religious ceremony will be held at the crash site to remember the victims.
Greece’s transport minister resigned after the crash, and Mitsotakis has struggled to limit the political fallout and quell public anger.
He pledged to work with the European Union to modernize the country’s rail network, and on Wednesday met with EU officials to seek advice.
The prime minister and other politicians suspended their campaigns for the upcoming elections after the tragedy. There is now speculation that the polls, originally expected in April, could be delayed until May.