Tempe Train Disaster: Greece: (Part One): Tempe victims’ families have presented research pointing to an illegal cargo as cause of the 'fireball', eKathimerini (Reporter Aris Dimitrakopoulos), reports, noting that: The association’s president, Maria Karystianou, said that the initial report by the Hellenic Air and Rail Accident Investigation Authority (HARSIA) was accurate, adding that the fire was caused by illegal fuel cargo. “The report brought to light some truths that are uncomfortable but cannot be denied,” she said, adding that the president of HARSIA had challenged his own experts for “daring to speak the scientific truth.”

BACKGROUND: The Press Project: Link Below:

Tempe case timeline: Cover-up allegations, forensic revelations, and Greece's crisis of accountability;

"The Tempe train disaster on 28 February 2023, which claimed 57 lives, exposed critical failures in Greece’s railway safety systems and sparked widespread allegations of a cover-up. Despite repeated warnings from railway workers, key safety upgrades were never implemented, and investigations have since revealed political interference, missing evidence, and potential fuel smuggling on the freight train. Two years on, mass protests, new forensic findings, and fresh legal battles continue to fuel demands for justice and accountability".

https://thepressproject.gr/tempe-case-timeline-cover-up-allegations-forensic-revelations-and-greeces-crisis-of-accountability/

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PASSAGE OF THE DAY: "Nikos Karnavos, a chemical engineer and member of the team of experts commissioned by the victims’ families, presented their findings. According to Karnavos, samples taken and analyzed by the State General Chemical Laboratory showed that the soil at the crash site contained abnormally high levels of hydrocarbons, at least 400 times above natural limits, levels that could not be explained by anything other than the presence of illegal cargo on the freight train. “The fact that there was fuel cannot be disputed, there was fuel that burned people,” he said. Karnavos also noted that silicone oil does not ignite under the conditions that existed during the crash. He explained that two of the three engines containing silicone oil were not damaged at all, and significant amounts of the oil were found intact at the scene."

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STORY: "Tempe victims' families present research pointing to illegal cargo as cause of fireball,   eKathimerini (Reporter Aris Dimitrakopoulos) on April 11, 2025.

GIST: "Research presented at a press conference Friday by experts representing the Tempe Victims Association indicates that the freight train involved in the Tempe collision was carrying illegal flammable materials.

The association’s president, Maria Karystianou, said that the initial report by the Hellenic Air and Rail Accident Investigation Authority (HARSIA) was accurate, adding that the fire was caused by illegal fuel cargo.

“The report brought to light some truths that are uncomfortable but cannot be denied,” she said, adding that the president of HARSIA had challenged his own experts for “daring to speak the scientific truth.”

Nikos Karnavos, a chemical engineer and member of the team of experts commissioned by the victims’ families, presented their findings.

According to Karnavos, samples taken and analyzed by the State General Chemical Laboratory showed that the soil at the crash site contained abnormally high levels of hydrocarbons, at least 400 times above natural limits, levels that could not be explained by anything other than the presence of illegal cargo on the freight train.

“The fact that there was fuel cannot be disputed, there was fuel that burned people,” he said.

Karnavos also noted that silicone oil does not ignite under the conditions that existed during the crash. He explained that two of the three engines containing silicone oil were not damaged at all, and significant amounts of the oil were found intact at the scene.

Pavlos Aslanidis, the father of one of the Tempe victims, emotionally told the press that 27 people were burned in the incident and demanded accountability.

“Twenty-seven children were burned alive in that explosion. One of them was my son,” he said.

The press conference was organized as the presence or absence of illegal cargo on the freight train became a central point of contention between several victims’ families and the state.

The original HARSIA report acknowledged the presence of an unidentified substance that may have contributed to the explosion and subsequent fire.

Earlier this week, however, HARSIA President Christos Papadimitriou made the controversial decision to remove this section after statements from foreign universities consulted by the agency clarified that they had only reviewed the methodology and did not contribute to or endorse the conclusion."

The entire story can be read at:

https://www.ekathimerini.com/news/1266772/tempe-victims-families-present-research-pointing-to-illegal-cargo-as-cause-of-fireball/

PUBLISHER'S NOTE:  I am monitoring this case/issue/resource. Keep your eye on the Charles Smith Blog for reports on developments. The Toronto Star, my previous employer for more than twenty incredible years, has put considerable effort into exposing the harm caused by Dr. Charles Smith and his protectors - and into pushing for reform of Ontario's forensic pediatric pathology system. The Star has a "topic"  section which focuses on recent stories related to Dr. Charles Smith. It can be found at: http://www.thestar.com/topic/charlessmith. Information on "The Charles Smith Blog Award"- and its nomination process - can be found at: http://smithforensic.blogspot.com/2011/05/charles-smith-blog-award-nominations.html Please send any comments or information on other cases and issues of interest to the readers of this blog to: hlevy15@gmail.com.  Harold Levy: Publisher: The Charles Smith Blog.

SEE BREAKDOWN OF  SOME OF THE ON-GOING INTERNATIONAL CASES (OUTSIDE OF THE CONTINENTAL USA) THAT I AM FOLLOWING ON THIS BLOG,  AT THE LINK BELOW:  HL:

https://www.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/120008354894645705/4704913685758792985

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FINAL WORD:  (Applicable to all of our wrongful conviction cases):  "Whenever there is a wrongful conviction, it exposes errors in our criminal legal system, and we hope that this case — and lessons from it — can prevent future injustices."

Lawyer Radha Natarajan:

Executive Director: New England Innocence Project;

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FINAL, FINAL WORD: "Since its inception, the Innocence Project has pushed the criminal legal system to confront and correct the laws and policies that cause and contribute to wrongful convictions.   They never shied away from the hard cases — the ones involving eyewitness identifications, confessions, and bite marks. Instead, in the course of presenting scientific evidence of innocence, they've exposed the unreliability of evidence that was, for centuries, deemed untouchable." So true!

Christina Swarns: Executive Director: The Innocence Project;

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