University of Ghent Disputes Claims by EODASAAAM on Fireball Cause and Involvement

The University of Ghent has labeled as misleading and baseless the claims published in February regarding the tragedy at Tempi. According to these claims, the institution allegedly reached precise conclusions about the fire’s causes following the collision of two trains in Tempi, suggesting the presence of at least 3.5 tons of illegal flammable liquid transported in the first carriage of the freight train. However, researchers Georgios Maragkos and Bart Merci from the University of Ghent clarify that they were never asked to investigate the incident nor conducted any simulations for EODASAAAM. Their sole involvement was offering scientific opinions on three preliminary simulations provided by Mr. Lakafosis, which they criticized extensively. They emphasized their disagreement with the findings presented in EODASAAAM’s report and the manner in which the university’s name was included. Furthermore, Mr. Maragkos highlighted the lack of justification for the quantity or type of fuel mentioned in the report, stating that similar fireball sizes could be achieved with significantly less fuel depending on the data input into models. The university is now consulting its legal team to decide on further actions, including an official communication with EODASAAAM requesting the dissociation of the University of Ghent from the CFD work presented in the report, along with a public clarification.