Effects of Greek train disaster spread as protests, police raids continue
Frustrated Greek citizens and railway workers are protesting the country's worst rail disaster while politicians scramble to restore order.
After Greece's transport minister resigned on Wednesday in the wake of the crash, his replacement, Giorgos Gerapetritis, vowed a "complete evaluation of the political system and the state".
Thousands of Greeks have protested to demand justice for at least 57 people killed in the country's worst rail disaster.
Some families were still desperate to locate loved ones who were on the train and a few demonstrations turned violent on Friday as public anger increased over the role that government mismanagement played in the tragedy.
Authorities have conceded that there had been failures in state management of the network.
Audio files were among the items seized during a police raid on the Larissa train station in central Greece, where Tuesday's crash happened, a judicial source told AFP news agency.
The passenger train ran for several kilometres on the same track as an incoming freight train before the crash, reportedly after the station master in Larissa failed to reroute one of the trains.
It was carrying many students returning from a holiday weekend.
The disaster has sparked widespread criticism of government failures in the rail network, and protesters held another series of demonstrations on Friday in the capital Athens and several major cities across Greece.
In Thessaloniki – Greece's second largest city – police said a protest of about 2,000 demonstrators turned violent on Thursday, with protesters throwing stones and petrol bombs.
READ MORE: Outrage as Greece admits 'failures' after fatal train crash
Parents' frantic search
Survivors described scenes of horror and chaos when the crash occurred, with many dodging smashed glass and debris as the train keeled over.
Some relatives were still desperately awaiting news of missing loved ones with fury and despair.
"No one can tell me anything –– if my child is injured or in intensive care or anything," one woman told AFP, desperately seeking news of her 23-year-old daughter Kalliopi.
Her 49-year-old husband Lazaros said he'd only discovered there had been a crash by watching the late evening TV news.
"I woke my wife up and asked her if our daughter was on that train. That was when the nightmare began," he said.
Both have given DNA samples and are now waiting to find out if their daughter is alive.
Roubini Leontari, the chief coroner at Larissa's general hospital, told broadcaster ERT on Thursday that more than 10 people were still unaccounted for, including two Greek Cypriots.
READ MORE: 'Tragic human error': Trains in Greece ran on same track before colliding
'Tragic human error'
Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, who is seeking re-election this spring, has blamed the disaster on "tragic human error".
But protests pointing the finger at government mismanagement continued on Friday.
Angry demonstrators have been demonstrating in Athens since Wednesday. By Friday, thousands of students were staging sit-ins and demonstrating in the capital and other cities.
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