Tempi Train Tragedy: Survivor’s Chilling Testimony and Father’s Accusation

The nightmare of the deadly Tempi rail disaster resurfaced during an emergency press conference held by Antonis Psaropoulos — lawyer and father of victim Martha Psaropoulou — and members of the Association of Victims’ Families (EDAPO) at the ESHEA Press Room. Survivor Eleftheria Dingka, who escaped from carriage B2 of the ill-fated Hellenic Train passenger service, delivered a harrowing account of the moments after the head-on collision with freight train 63503 on the night of February 28, 2023 — an accident that claimed 57 lives. She described the orange sparks, suffocating black smoke, and rapidly spreading fire that turned her carriage into a burning inferno within minutes. Though severely traumatized, she recalled helping others escape through broken windows while flames engulfed the exterior. Another survivor, Antonis Antoniou, escaped from carriage B4. In carriage B2, 45 people were aboard: 11 died — including 4 who were incinerated — and 35 survived by jumping from shattered windows. EDAPO’s investigation revealed strong evidence that two of the four incinerated victims remained conscious post-collision. Crucially, fire broke out seconds after impact — caused not by explosion but by electrical short-circuit — and spread across the entire carriage in just 15 minutes. According to expert analysis by EDAPO’s Costas Lakafosis, had Hellenic Train staff accessed and used a fire extinguisher immediately, the fire could have been contained before becoming fatal. EDAPO concluded that 5–7 trapped passengers could have survived had fire safety protocols been followed. Forensic reports confirm 27 victims died from burns or smoke inhalation.