Parents of Cypriot student testify at trial over Tempi rail disaster

Larissa, Greece. The parents of Kyprianos Papaioannou, a Cypriot student killed in Greece’s 2023 Tempi rail disaster, gave evidence on Tuesday at the trial of those facing charges over the crash.

Parents describe their son’s return

Giving evidence on the 40th day, Georgia Papaioannou told the court that her son had planned to marry in August that year. She said his body was returned to her unclothed in a zip-lock bag, without respect, and that she had to dress him for burial rather than for his wedding.

His father, the priest Father Christodoulos Papaioannou, testified that his son had decided to travel by rail rather than fly so he could save money for the wedding.

He said that, after opening the coffin, he saw burns on his son’s body and noticed a chemical smell. Removing the odour required washing the body repeatedly with wine, he told the court.

Freight cargo remains disputed

Father Christodoulos asked the court to determine the contents of the freight train’s cargo. That issue remains disputed: Greek officials first attributed the disaster to human error and said the fire was fuelled by silicone cooling oil.

Two Cypriots among those killed

The collision occurred near Tempi, in central Greece, on 28 February 2023. A passenger service carrying students struck a freight train, leaving approximately 57 people dead.

Among the victims were two Cypriots: Papaioannou, a 23-year-old law student attending Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, and Anastasia Adamidou, aged 24, from Paphos.

Proceedings opened on March 23 at Larissa’s Court of Appeal. The case involves 36 defendants and more than 350 witnesses, with the trial expected to last as long as three years.