A final report by the Fire Crime Department has concluded there is no evidence that the commercial train involved in the deadly Feb. 28, 2023, Tempi rail disaster was carrying flammable or explosive cargo.
The definitive finding, which has been submitted to the appellate investigator, refutes widespread speculation that a secret, illicit cargo was responsible for the intense fire that followed the head-on collision.
Investigators from the department, known as DAEE, found that the second car of the commercial train showed no signs of fire or burn damage, despite being heavily deformed.
A metallurgical expert from the National Technical University of Athens independently concluded that the damage was caused solely by the force of the collision.
The report effectively closes one line of inquiry in the investigation into one of Greece's worst train accidents, which killed 57 people.
The full investigation is nearing completion, pending final chemical analyses.