Euroferry Olympia: What the first data show about the causes of the fire – Relatives are looking for answers

Reportage by Miltos Sakellaris

THE Elias Gerontidakis and the Venia Bekiari lost on February 18 two of their loved ones. They are two members of 11 families living in mourning. It has been almost 2.5 months since the Euroferry Olympia was engulfed in flames and 11 people were charred. In the early days they were considered missing but everyone, more or less, knew the truth. They knew that the hopes of finding them alive were slim. A huge legal battle has started since then, as the families of the victims, as well as the owners of the trucks that saw their vehicles destroyed, are claiming compensation. Regardless of the outcome of the process, theirs will not go back. That does not change. What can change is the attitude of the companies that make such trips. So that no one ever mourns again. No husband, father, uncle or cousin.

The unanswered questions …

The first findings of the three experts of the Prosecutor’s Office – who work with the technical advisers of the families and try to draw a final conclusion about how the fire started – are clear: a short circuit in the places where the refrigerated trucks receive electricity. The first findings support exactly what the drivers and their relatives had reported, shortly after the start of the fire and the search for the missing. The ship, according to the first information, was poorly maintained, the necessary things had not been done and the fire safety did not work properly.

– Why were some drivers in the garages while this is forbidden?

– Why weren’t they removed? Were all the garages inspected so that everyone could leave the points and be transferred to their cabins?

– Were the sanitary conditions inside the ship good?

– How quickly was the ship evacuated and how did the crew operate?

These questions need an immediate answer, an answer that will be given in court. By all means.

“The fire did not start from a truck …”

THE Elias Gerontidakisa truck driver and himself, lost his father, inside the ship. “Of course we want justice. We want the truth to shine. The fire did not start from a truck as they said in the beginning but from a short circuit in the places where the refrigerated trucks get electricity “he told him SKAI from the Netherlands, where he is currently on business. “The case must be taken to court and it must be ascertained what happened. We need to know the truth. “People were lost,” said the man, who experienced the loss of his father aboard a Grimaldi ship. H Venia Bekiari she lived several days in agony if her husband Nikos is alive. He was on the missing list. She is now in a bad psychological state trying to justify herself. “What we want is only the truth”were the few words I uttered to her as the shock of loss and pain are not easily overcome.

O lawyer, Michalis Markoulakos, represents the families of the victims but also members of the ship’s crew who are originally from Greece. About the first findings of the experts explained to SKAI: “The technical consultants appointed by us have already identified the pillars that show short circuit and overload. It follows that the fire probably passed through there. We need to be given other information, such as videos and the black box. The data must be given to us to make the final conclusion. The fire started from one of the ship’s garages. “. According to the criminologist, “the families of the dead, the drivers and those in danger are asking for monetary compensation. The accidents were actually predicted to happen. Conditions and conditions on the ship were poor. It was just a matter of time before it happened. The most important now is the black box of the ship and the video.

THE Grimaldi company However, she has appointed her own technical advisors, who will carry out an independent and different investigation into what went wrong and we were led to this tragedy.

Follow Skai.gr on Google News
and be the first to know all the news