Greece’s Secretary General for Civil Protection, Vassilios Papageorgiou, submitted his resignation on Tuesday, stating that he was stepping down to aid the judicial investigation into the Tempi train disaster, which claimed 57 lives.
Papageorgiou cited “political sensitivity” as the reason for his resignation, following allegations that he tampered with the accident site. Authorities have filed criminal charges against him in connection with the case.
Deputy Climate Crisis and Civil Protection Minister Christos Triandopoulos, also announced his resignation on Tuesday in parliament adding to the political fallout from the tragic accident.
In his resignation letter to Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, Papageorgiou emphasized his commitment to clearing his name:
“I hereby submit my resignation from the position of Secretary General for Civil Protection, with the primary purpose of facilitating the work of the Greek justice [system] in the Tempi case.
I will make every effort to prove that I had no responsibility for any operational acts or omissions concerning the accident site.”
The Tempi train crash, one of Greece’s deadliest rail disasters, has triggered public outrage and intensified scrutiny over government accountability and infrastructure safety.
