Archbishop Ieronymos of Athens and All Greece paid homage to the victims of the tragic train accident in Tempi, Greece.
On Tuesday, February 20, 2024, marking nearly one year since the devastating incident, Archbishop Ieronymos perfomed a Trisagion service at the site to honor the victims of the accident.
Accompanied by Metropolitan Ieronymos of Larissa and Tyrnavos, Archbishop Ieronymos arrived at the scene, where they were greeted by Mrs. Karystianou, a grieving mother who lost her daughter in the accident. Also present were Archimandrite Ioannis Karamouzis, Chief Secretary of the Holy Synod of the Church of Greece, and Protodeacon Ioannis Boutsis.
Representing the Holy Metropolis, Archimandrite Ignatios Mourtzanos, Protosyncellus of the Metropolis, and Protodeacon Spyridon-Athanasios Sassalos joined the service. The Archbishop, visibly moved, offered words of paternal comfort and support, reflecting his heartfelt prayers for the departed souls and their families.
What happened in Tempi
It is recalled that on February 28, 2023, a tragic head-on collision occurred between two trains south of the Tempi 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.
Source: Church of Greece / Translated by: Konstantinos Menyktas
