
Greek authorities have launched an urgent investigation into the authenticity of three newly submitted videos that reportedly show the passenger train moments before its fatal collision in Tempe. The special appellate investigator, Sotiris Bakaimis, has tasked two forensic experts with verifying the footage amid growing controversy over its significance.
According to a document dated 7 February 2025, the judicial experts Apostolos Vasilakos and Stavros Batzopoulos, have been ordered to determine whether the videos are genuine and whether they depict a tank or other container on the freight train that could be linked to the explosion that followed the crash. The footage is considered of “special importance” and has been prioritised for urgent examination.
The disputed footage
The three videos were submitted by Vasilis Kapernaros, the lawyer for Interstar Security, a company responsible for video surveillance of Greece’s railway network since 2017. According to Kapernaros, the footage captures key moments of the freight train’s journey on 5 February 2023, showing its passage through tunnels and checkpoints along the Athens–Thessaloniki railway.
“The videos provide precise timestamps, showing the entire freight train and all its waggons,” Kapernaros stated. He added that the company provided the footage in response to a summons from the investigator. “The material is clear and self-explanatory,” he said. However, he insisted that the only cargo visible in the footage was metal sheets, refuting speculation about hazardous materials.
Critics have questioned why the videos have only surfaced now, nearly two years after the crash. Kapernaros has claimed they were not requested earlier and that the company conducted a thorough review in light of renewed scrutiny over the freight train’s cargo and the cause of the explosion.
Families of victims voice scepticism
The families of the victims have cast doubt on whether the footage conclusively determines what was being transported on the freight train. Lawyer Antonis Psaropoulos, whose daughter was killed in the crash, said: “If the authenticity is not verified, I will not speculate. But 23 months later, either the judiciary has failed in its duty, or the company representatives are lying.”
Psaropoulos also questioned the timing of the videos’ release, particularly as a separate investigation into the role of OSE’s president is ongoing. “This is no coincidence,” he said.
Allegations of forgery and missing evidence
Expert witness Dimitris Lakafosis has warned of inconsistencies in the investigation, revealing that a forged technical report is included in the case file. “There has to be a source of fuel—without it, what we saw in the fireball would not have been possible,” he said, suggesting that key details about the explosion remain unresolved.
Meanwhile, lawyer Stelios Sourlas has directly challenged the authenticity of the newly submitted videos, pointing out that the company had previously stated no such footage existed. “It is impossible for a video to appear two years later when the company had already submitted its hard drives to the investigator,” he said.
A separate Supreme Court-ordered investigation is already underway to examine previous footage that was submitted, which reportedly showed only the passenger train rather than the freight train.
Next steps in the investigation
The three videos are now under examination by forensic experts, as well as by the National Technical University of Athens and the National Organisation for the Investigation of Air and Railway Accidents. Their findings are expected in the coming weeks.
Bakaimis has instructed experts to confirm whether the freight train shown in the footage is the same one involved in the crash, using identifiers such as wagon numbers and distinguishing markings. The investigation is also focused on determining whether any tanks or containers carrying flammable materials were present on the train—an issue that has been a key point of contention in the case.
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