New footage under scrutiny in Greece’s Tempe train disaster investigation

On February 5, last week, attorney Vasilios Kapernaros delivered three video files to Special Investigating Judge Sotiris Bakaimis.

The files, recorded by Interstar Security’s surveillance system, may depict the 63503 freight train before the fatal February 28, 2023 collision.

Experts have been tasked with verifying the footage’s authenticity and whether it reveals any undeclared cargo. Interstar Security claims the videos were downloaded in March 2023 but only surfaced now following an internal review.

The delay has raised questions, as in November 2024, the company itself had proposed submitting additional footage. The search for critical surveillance data has faced repeated setbacks. Hard drives sent for analysis last year were either overwritten or from the wrong locations.

In April 2024, investigators sent 15 disks to a UK forensic lab, but no relevant footage was recovered. In December 2024, authorities launched a probe into why incorrect footage was initially provided. Both Interstar and the Greek railway authority OSE were called to explain discrepancies.

The new videos could be key in determining the exact circumstances leading to Greece’s worst train disaster in decades. Investigators continue working to establish whether more missing footage remains undiscovered.

kathimerini