The fire after the collision of the two trains in Tempi is due to silicone oils of the transformers, according to another expert report that comes to light after that of Anastasios Dedes, the content of which was published on 2/4 by protothema.gr, which was handed over in February 2024 to the Investigator by Vervesos, concealing what he wrote, still talking about landfill.

This new report is signed by Kakamoucas Stylianos of Nikolaos, Mechanical Vehicle Engineer, Expert witness of the Larissa District Prosecutor’s Office and Kakamoucas Nikolaos of Demetrios, professor with A grade, Mechanical Vehicle Engineer, Expert witness. Both of them drafted the expert opinion on the order of the family Mitska from Giannitsa, who lost their 23-year-old daughter Ifigenia in the tragic accident of Tempe.

As noted in the report, “the fire, which in our estimation was the cause in which many passengers of the passenger train were charred, started from the electrical discharges created by the cutting of the power cables of the electric cars, voltage 25,000 volts, combined with the oil silicon from the transformers that was scattered throughout the accident site. The fire spread through the construction materials of the rail cars such as the fabric seats, wood paneling the floors and sides and the foam of the seats.”

As for the responsibilities, the report notes that the collision was the responsibility of “the stationmaster of the Larissa S.S., who:”Did not use the tracking function (as defined by a document from the Traffic Department of the O.S.E.) which would have ensured the train’s course on the up line. He also did not check at all the status of key No. 118 on the line before departure from the Larissa S.S., so that the train would continue to run on the up line and he did not check the course of the train heading to Thessaloniki through the local control panel, which was within his range, to ensure the correct movement of the passenger train.”

In addition, the two experts also referred to the driver of the passenger train, who “on the one hand, did not inform the stationmaster of the S.S. Larissa about the entry of the train on the descent line even with the few media such as the radio, on the other hand, because while he realized that the traffic lights were not working at all at the time before the accident, he continued to move in the descent stream“.

The report further refers to the safe movement systems which include the line occupancy control systems and traffic lights which (systems) were not working. If they were working properly then the tragic accident would not have occurred. The OSE also bears responsibility. Also, the ETCS system was not working, which although it was installed on the trains, practically never existed. If this European system had been working, the tragic accident would not have happened.

Responsibilities are also attributed to TRAINOSE which was responsible for the maintenance of the trains “because it did not carry out the required maintenance of the trains, and in particular on the seat in the 3rd carriage at position 67 in which the 23-year-old unfortunate Iphigenia Mitska was sitting, which detached from its base and was ejected, resulting in the 23-year-old’s tragic death“.

The technical expert report began to be compiled after the autopsy at the scene of the accident and the
inspection of the trains, totals 50 pages and is dated 1 December 2023.