Close relatives of 33 out of the 57 Tempi rail collision victims have reportedly notified judicial authorities that they do not want an exhumation of their loved ones’ bodies. Conversely, close relatives of 10 victims have said the bodies of the latter to be exhumed, ahead of a deadline set by a Larissa prosecutor, which expires next week.

Additionally, of the 57 victims, five are foreign nationals and their relatives are being sought in order to declare whether they want an exhumation of the bodies.

According to reports, the close relatives of nine victims have not declared whether they want an exhumation, nor have they conveyed their wishes regarding the type of post-mortem tests they want conducted, i.e. a toxicology test, DNA testing etc.

The DNA testing aims to confirm that the remains are actually of the interred victim, while the toxicology tests aim to shed light on allegations that an illegal transported solvent (carried in the freight train) caused a fireball in the front carriage of the passenger train.

File photo: The father of Tempi victim Dennis Ruci, Panos.

The process of exhumations does not relate to the pending trial for the deadly rail collision, which is expected to commence next March before a three-justice appellate-level court in Larissa.

A demand by the father of one victim, Dennis Ruci, led to the former’s hunger strike and encampment in front of Parliament for a few weeks in late September and October. The request was finally approved by relevant prosecutors, with the activism attracting widespread and overwhelming positive public opinion and media attention. While the request was approved, the exhumations have not taken place.

At the same time, the political opposition readily “pounced” on Panos Ruci’s hunger strike in order to sharply criticize the center-right government over its handling of the February 2023 disaster and perceived oversights – dating back decades – in the country’s rail safety.