Tempe: Deep sorrow at the memorial service for the 57 victims, one year after the tragedy
On Wednesday, 28 February 2024, in an atmosphere of deep sorrow, a Trisagion Memorial Service took place for the repose of the souls of the 57 victims of the railway accident that shocked Greece on the same day one year ago.
The Trisagion was held at the site of the collision, in the presence of a large number of people, relatives and friends of the 57 victims. During this, the priest read the names of the victims with a trembling voice and crying.
Earlier, on Wednesday morning, the bells in all the churches of the country rang mournfully 57 times, as a sign of memory and respect for our 57 fallen fellow human beings.
It is noted that on 25 February 2024, His Eminence Metropolitan Ieronymos of Larissa and Tyrnavos presided over a memorial service at the site of the tragedy, offering prayers for the departed souls.
What happened in Tempe?
It is recalled that on 28 February 2023, a tragic head-on collision occurred between two trains south of the Tempe Valley in Greece. The collision involved the InterCity 62 (IC62) passenger train and an intermodal freight train, resulting in the loss of at least 57 lives, among an official count of 342 passengers.
Several factors contributed to the accident, including the failure to implement the European Train Control System (ETCS) as originally scheduled for 2020, with its deployment delayed until late 2023. Additionally, in 2019, telematics in Larissa ceased functioning due to a summer wildfire and remained unresolved. This collision marked a tragic culmination following a series of other rail incidents that fortunately had no casualties.
