Father of Tempi crash victim demands truth on why son burned alive

During the initial court session concerning the fatal Tempi train crash, Dimitris Koutsopoulos, father of 21-year-old Anastasios from Karditsa, gave a detailed statement. He described the weekend before the accident, the family’s gathering and an uneasy feeling before the tragedy. Upon arriving at the crash site, he and his wife searched amid heavy smoke and darkness, later being told by police that no deaths had occurred.

At Larissa General Hospital they saw ambulances unloading bodies and black bags, while waiting for news about their son. Koutsopoulos said his son’s phone placed a 112 call, capturing passenger voices, yet the family learned of the recording only after a day and a half. A DNA test later confirmed the identity, and officials gave the family a charred cross the boy had worn. He concluded by demanding an unbiased investigation into why his son was burned alive.