Dimitris Papastergiou: Emotional Post on ‘Biolanda’ Tragedy

Dimitris Papastergiou, Minister of Digital Governance, shared a heartfelt social media post on January 30, 2026, following the fatal explosion at the ‘Biolanda’ factory in Trikala that claimed the lives of five women workers. Born in Trikala and former mayor of the city, Papastergiou revealed he had worked as a freelance Electrical Engineer in 2007, contributing to the electromechanical studies during the facility’s initial setup. He clarified that those studies were later approved by the Fire Service and the Thessaly Region’s Industry Department, with subsequent work carried out by other engineering colleagues. Papastergiou emphasized the heavy atmosphere still prevailing in Trikala and stressed society’s collective duty to support the victims’ families. He called for a thorough, transparent investigation—not only to deliver justice but to identify systemic failures and prevent future tragedies. ‘We owe it to these women and their families to understand what went wrong,’ he stated.