Interview by Georgia Kriebardi

“I’m from Mouzaki, Karditsa. I’ve relied on trains for years. That Saturday, I booked my usual spot in the last carriage; it’s a habit born from a belief that danger strikes at the front,” Kapsali begins. “On that particular evening, as we left Larissa around 23:10, I remember a lady tidying up the canteen just before I settled in, expecting a mundane journey.”

However, the trip was anything but ordinary. “When the collision occurred, it was abrupt. The carriage jolted backwards. Sparks flew past the windows, and I thought it was a mechanical fault. I could never have anticipated a collision.”

Rail accident involving a collision between a cargo and a passenger train in the Evangelismos area of Larissa, Greece on March 1, 2023. / Σιδηροδρομικό ατύχημα με σύγκρουση μιας εμπορικής και μιας επιβατικής αμαξοστοιχίας στην περιοχή Ευαγγελισμός Λάρισας, 1 Μαρτίου 2023.

Panic ensued inside the train. “Passengers scrambled, some kicked at windows to escape. A female firefighter helped open a door. When we finally got out, the sight was horrific. The second and third carriages were engulfed in flames down a slope.”

Kapsali’s initial reaction was disbelief. “My first call was to my sisters, informing them of a derailment – I couldn’t fathom the reality of a collision.”

The aftermath was chaotic. “Ambulances rushed past us, focusing on more critical sites. It was on the bus away from the wreckage that I learned it was a collision, not just a derailment.”

Reflecting on the incident, Kapsali struggles with survivor’s guilt. “I was safe, relatively unscathed, because of my choice in seating. Meanwhile, around me, there was unimaginable suffering.”

Aris Oikonomou / SOOC

The disaster has left Kapsali with deep-seated anger towards those in charge. “People in critical positions failed, and their failures cost lives. I can’t tolerate the excuses any more. This wasn’t just an accident; it was negligence amounting to murder.”

Today, Kapsali advocates for accountability. “Every responsible party should face justice. It’s the only way forward.”

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