The mother of the 32-year-old train driver expressed her grief and frustration, claiming that the commercial train had already been thoroughly checked. She also clarified that the new investigations in Koulouri were initiated at the request of the family’s lawyer.

Speaking to OPEN, Stavroula Karidi, the mother of Dimitris Massalis, the 32-year-old train driver who tragically lost his life in the Tempi rail disaster, said, “I feared that my son would be labeled as a smuggler.”

She continued by addressing recent statements regarding the possible illegal cargo. “We asked for this after the statements made following the interview with EODASAM and the unfortunate comments made by the President, which he later retracted, admitting they were a mistake. This sparked suspicions that flammable material could have been in the engines.”

Mrs. Karidi emphasized that the commercial train had already undergone extensive checks. She also criticized the President of EODASAM, stating, “I believe those involved knew the case file and understood that none of this was true. The order was given because we needed to ensure we were covered.”

“The engines were not burned”

Stavroula Karidi further asserted that the engines of the train had not been involved in the fire. “The two engines were not affected by the fire; they are intact. The bodies of the victims are the only ones that were completely burned. We never imagined that the investigation would even reach the engines,” she said.

She also shared that those responsible attempted to load flammable cargo behind the third freight car. “When that theory was rejected after the video in Leptokarya, they tried to load it onto the sheets of metal. Later, they suggested the cargo was in the engine, reducing the amount from 30 to 15 tons.”

“My only concern is my son’s reputation”

Mrs. Karidi explained her intense concern about the reputation and legacy of her son. “From the start, I watched closely because I feared that, unknowingly, my son could be branded a smuggler. As the cargo was being loaded into the containers, I made it clear that my main concern was his honor and legacy because he had no responsibility for what happened behind the engines. Once there was a suspicion about the engines, we had to take drastic measures.”

She also pointed out that samples had been taken from the engines, and no flammable material had been found. “If there are hydrocarbons in the trunk of a car and the gas cans explode, burning the car it collided with, is it possible for the rest of the car to remain intact, with the driver and passenger unburned, with their clothes and glasses still intact?” she questioned.

“They are playing games at our expense”

“Besides mourning my child, I now have to hear on television that he was transporting illegal cargo for pocket money. I spent 20 years raising a child, and now I am trying to protect his legacy from the games being played,” she said, visibly distressed.

“I’m waiting for the final report; after that, they can focus on the passenger train, where the fire started,” she added, mentioning that the freight cars of the commercial train were opened in the presence of a prosecutor and contained what was expected. “It wasn’t a ghost train. It stopped at stations every 15 minutes. There are 10 stationmasters who have testified. Let me reveal a conversation that was recently uncovered from the case file.”

Stavroula Karidi referred to a conversation between her son and the Plataea stationmaster. “He asks, ‘Commercial, have you placed the empty platforms in front and the containers at the back? Who came up with that idea? Do you realize that you’ll derail further ahead?’ And the reply was, ‘Mr. Stationmaster, appearances can be deceiving. Take a better look. They may seem empty, but they are carrying 40 tons of metal sheets.’ According to my lawyer, based on this testimony and this recording, the investigator cannot establish that there were any fuel tanks on board,” she concluded.

Keywords: Tempi, train disaster, illegal cargo, train driver, investigation.

The mother of the 32-year-old train driver expressed her grief and frustration, claiming that the commercial train had already been thoroughly checked. She also clarified that the new investigations in Koulouri were initiated at the request of the family’s lawyer.

Speaking to OPEN, Stavroula Karidi, the mother of Dimitris Massalis, the 32-year-old train driver who tragically lost his life in the Tempi rail disaster, said, “I feared that my son would be labeled as a smuggler.”

She continued by addressing recent statements regarding the possible illegal cargo. “We asked for this after the statements made following the interview with EODASAM and the unfortunate comments made by the President, which he later retracted, admitting they were a mistake. This sparked suspicions that flammable material could have been in the engines.”

Mrs. Karidi emphasized that the commercial train had already undergone extensive checks. She also criticized the President of EODASAM, stating, “I believe those involved knew the case file and understood that none of this was true. The order was given because we needed to ensure we were covered.”

“The engines were not burned”

Stavroula Karidi further asserted that the engines of the train had not been involved in the fire. “The two engines were not affected by the fire; they are intact. The bodies of the victims are the only ones that were completely burned. We never imagined that the investigation would even reach the engines,” she said.

She also shared that those responsible attempted to load flammable cargo behind the third freight car. “When that theory was rejected after the video in Leptokarya, they tried to load it onto the sheets of metal. Later, they suggested the cargo was in the engine, reducing the amount from 30 to 15 tons.”

“My only concern is my son’s reputation”

Mrs. Karidi explained her intense concern about the reputation and legacy of her son. “From the start, I watched closely because I feared that, unknowingly, my son could be branded a smuggler. As the cargo was being loaded into the containers, I made it clear that my main concern was his honor and legacy because he had no responsibility for what happened behind the engines. Once there was a suspicion about the engines, we had to take drastic measures.”

She also pointed out that samples had been taken from the engines, and no flammable material had been found. “If there are hydrocarbons in the trunk of a car and the gas cans explode, burning the car it collided with, is it possible for the rest of the car to remain intact, with the driver and passenger unburned, with their clothes and glasses still intact?” she questioned.

“They are playing games at our expense”

“Besides mourning my child, I now have to hear on television that he was transporting illegal cargo for pocket money. I spent 20 years raising a child, and now I am trying to protect his legacy from the games being played,” she said, visibly distressed.

“I’m waiting for the final report; after that, they can focus on the passenger train, where the fire started,” she added, mentioning that the freight cars of the commercial train were opened in the presence of a prosecutor and contained what was expected. “It wasn’t a ghost train. It stopped at stations every 15 minutes. There are 10 stationmasters who have testified. Let me reveal a conversation that was recently uncovered from the case file.”

Stavroula Karidi referred to a conversation between her son and the Plataea stationmaster. “He asks, ‘Commercial, have you placed the empty platforms in front and the containers at the back? Who came up with that idea? Do you realize that you’ll derail further ahead?’ And the reply was, ‘Mr. Stationmaster, appearances can be deceiving. Take a better look. They may seem empty, but they are carrying 40 tons of metal sheets.’ According to my lawyer, based on this testimony and this recording, the investigator cannot establish that there were any fuel tanks on board,” she concluded.