Three new videos captured by CCTV inside the tunnel before a fatal train crash near the Tempi village in 2023 killing 57 people, which were leaked to the media last week, were handed over to Greek police by a security company after a raid on Monday evening, as journalist Ioanna Mandrou reported on Mega TV.
Police officers raided the offices of the security firm contracted by the Hellenic Railways Organization (OSE) for the surveillance and security system following an order from the appellate investigator. Authorities may proceed with seizing evidence deemed critical to the case, though the exact directives from the investigator remain unclear.
The new videos were circulated last week after an Athens lawyer had reportedly secured the CCTV footage from the security firm.
Mandrou reported that the raid came on the heels of the investigator’s urgent order for two forensic experts to verify the authenticity of the videos and determine if any flammable materials were present. The two experts, who have been involved in the case from the beginning, previously concluded in their report that the explosion was caused by silicone oils.
The investigator may later turn to the forensic laboratories of the Police once he receives the experts’ findings.
A criminal investigation is underway into why the security company failed to release the videos earlier. According to judicial sources, the newly surfaced footage is now part of this ongoing probe.
On Monday morning, the special appellate investigator in Larissa ordered an urgent investigation to determine whether the videos showing the freight train, which emerged after the Tempi crash, are authentic. The footage, recorded by security cameras for OSE, continues to stir both political and judicial controversy two years after the tragedy.
The company handed the material over to the investigator, who requested an authenticity check. However, the validity of the footage is being questioned by the technical advisors representing the victims’ families, their lawyers, and the families themselves.
The controversial videos surfaced as the investigator awaits reports from the National Technical University of Athens (NTUA) and the Railway Accident Investigation Organization. Researchers have already concluded that the fireball seen on the night of the tragedy could not have been caused by the silicone oils from the passenger train.
