TEMPI — 2023 · Major Tragedy
The Tempi Train Disaster
Late on 28 February 2023 a passenger train from Athens to Thessaloniki collided head-on near Tempi with a freight train on the same line, having run on the wrong track for 12 minutes and about 18 kilometres. 57 people died, most of them university students returning from a carnival weekend. The crash exposed human error, outdated signalling and systemic neglect, and the cause of the post-collision fireball became a separate controversy. Protests drawing tens of thousands swept Greece. The trial of 36 defendants opened in Larissa in March 2026.
- Date
- 2023
- Place
- Larissa, Thessaly, Greece, Tempi, GR
- Category
- Major Tragedy
- Case Status
- Under Investigation
- Coordinates
- 39.9000, 22.5800 ↗
Timeline of Events
- 28 February 2023Passenger and freight trains collided at Tempi.
- March 2023Nationwide protests began.
- January 2025Mass justice rallies were held.
- 23 March 2026The 36-defendant trial opened and was adjourned.
Sources
- Euronews — Tempi train tragedy trial adjourned until April euronews.com ↗
- Al Jazeera — Tens of thousands of Greeks seek justice for Tempe victims aljazeera.com ↗
- Euronews
- Al Jazeera
Source grade B: at least one verifiable linked source. If you spot a mistake or something missing, report it with "Suggest a correction" in the app.
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🕯️ This record was prepared with respect, in memory of those who lost their lives.