Greek Deputy Minister to Resign Over Tempi Train Crash

Christos Triantopoulos in October 2023. Photo: Facebook/Christos Triantapoulos.

Greece’s Deputy Minister for Civil Protection, Christos Triantopoulos, announced his resignation on Thursday, following the centre-left PASOK party’s proposal to set up a parliamentary inquiry to investigate any misconduct in his handling of the train crash in Tempi in 2023 that killed 57 people.

Triantopoulos, who was deputy to Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis at the time of the crash, will resign as minister as soon as the parliamentary committee is set up, but will not quit his role as an MP.

Relatives of the Tempi victims accuse Triantopoulos of ordering the removal of important evidence from the crash scene, hindering the collection of findings to identify the causes of the accident and those responsible.

He denies the allegations.

“The mention of the existence of intent … that hypothetically led to actions of a ‘cover-up’ is extremely offensive,” Triantopoulos said on social media.

But he added that, with the establishment of the committee, “I will resign from the position of Deputy Minister for Climate Crisis and Civil Protection to facilitate the process and the work of the government”.

When it submitted its proposal for the establishment of the committee, PASOK said that there were “sufficient indications… worthy of preliminary investigation” that “Triantopoulos committed the offence of dereliction of duty”.

The crash at Tempi in the Thessaly region on February 28, 2023 saw a train carrying 350 passengers collide with a goods train.

The crash caused widespread anguish in Greece and continues to inspire mass protests.

A student protest is planned for Friday in Athens and other cities, with the main demand being justice and accountability over the crash.