Tempi Train Tragedy: New Audio Evidence Reveals Passengers' Final Moments

Newly released audio recordings from the catastrophic train collision in Tempi, Greece, have shed light on the harrowing final moments of passengers who survived the crash but perished in the ensuing fire.

The recordings, recently submitted to the Greek Parliament as part of a massive case file, amplify questions about the deadly blaze that followed the collision of two trains on February 28, 2023.

The audio, aired by Greek broadcaster ANT1, captures a young female passenger's desperate call to Greece’s emergency hotline, “100,” minutes after the collision. In a state of panic, she pleads for help, reporting that the train traveling from Athens to Thessaloniki had caught fire after passing Larissa. Screams and cries of fellow passengers echo in the background, painting a chilling picture of the chaos and fear aboard the train.

“Help, a train from Athens is on fire,” the young woman says, her voice trembling. “There’s a lot of people inside… Do something urgently!” As she struggles to provide the train’s exact location—somewhere between Farsala and Larissa—she urges emergency services to act quickly, noting that many passengers remain trapped. Another voice in the background screams, “The train is on fire!” while others cry out for help.

The emergency operator presses for clarification on the train’s location, asking, “Have you passed Larissa?” The young woman, overwhelmed, confirms they are heading toward Katerini, but the call is punctuated by shouts to “move away” as the fire intensifies. The recording captures the passengers’ growing terror as they face the threat of being burned alive—a fear tragically realised for many.

The audio was added last month to a voluminous case file containing 59,000 documents, offering fresh insight into the disaster’s aftermath. The Tempi crash, one of Greece’s deadliest rail accidents, claimed 57 lives. While many survived the initial collision, a subsequent fireball and blaze proved fatal for several passengers. According to Kostas Lakafossis, a Greek official, definitive evidence confirms that at least five victims died due to the fire, with slight uncertainty surrounding a small number of others. Independent experts hired by victims’ families estimate a higher toll, suggesting that between 16 and 30 people may have perished in the flames. The Families’ Independent Experts Investigation Committee (EDAPO) reports that five to eight deaths were fire-related, based on their findings.

The cause of the fire remains under investigation, with the case file pointing to an unidentified fuel source as the likely trigger. The Greek Public Railway Accident Investigation Organization (EODASAAM) notes that five to seven individuals were killed by the blaze. The new evidence has intensified scrutiny of the response to the disaster and the factors that allowed the fire to claim so many lives.

The Tempi tragedy remains a stark reminder of the need for robust rail safety measures. The haunting audio underscores the urgency of the passengers’ pleas and the devastating consequences of the fire, fueling calls for accountability and reform.