NEWS 24/7 in Trikala: “In our village, we would have had at least 10 funerals”

Mission in Trikala

Five female workers are confirmed dead following a fire that broke out at 4:00 AM on Monday (January 26) at the “Violanta” biscuit factory in Trikala.

The victims of the tragedy include Agapi (whose last name has not been disclosed), Stavroula Boukouvala from Karditsa, a mother of three, 42-year-old Vasiliki Skampardoni from Gardiki, Trikala, a mother of two, Anastasia Nasiou from Grizano, Farkadona, and 45-year-old Elena Katsarou from Glino, a mother of a 13-year-old child.

Even as late as the afternoon, thick smoke was still rising from the site of the explosion. As described by a former worker, the area, still smoking, was where the ovens of the factory were located, and it was there that the first four bodies of the unfortunate women were found.

Later in the day, parts believed to belong to the fifth missing worker were found, and identification through DNA is awaited.

These were mothers who worked the night shift, allowing them to take their children to school in the morning, and tragically lost their lives at work due to an explosion, the cause of which is still unknown.

The local community is in shock and cannot believe the tragedy faced by those who lost their loved ones.

Testimonies from neighboring village residents

“I was sleeping when I heard a loud ‘boom,’ and I got up thinking there might be an earthquake. In the morning, the whole area smelled, and we learned on TV what had happened,” says Eleni Varsamou, a resident of Glino, a village close to the factory.

“It was horrifying. I happened to be on shift early in the morning and we heard the explosion all the way to Trikala. Then we saw the flames and realized it was the factory. Within moments, the whole area of Trikala smelled of smoke,” says Kostas Petros, the president of Glino. “It was a very difficult morning for all of us. We never imagined something like this could happen. Our thoughts are with those who lost a loved one.”

From all the surrounding villages (Megalochori, Longos, Kalyvia, Proastio), many work at this particular factory. Among them was 45-year-old Elena, originally from Glino, who lost her life in the explosion.

“It’s tragic, she was so young, and she had a 13-year-old child,” says Mrs. Varsamou. “Although she had moved to Trikala, I knew her husband well because he used to bring goods to our shop. I knew them; they were very good people.”

As residents from neighboring villages shared with NEWS 24/7 with concern, if the explosion had occurred a few hours later, the death toll would have been much higher, as the following shift was much larger.

“If the morning shift had been working, in our village here, we would have had at least ten funerals,” says Mrs. Varsamou.

“The local community here is stunned,” says Vaggelis Tzelis, president of Megalochori, a larger neighboring village that also suffered a loss. “Agapi was a very beloved person. She had worked at the factory for decades, almost since it opened. She was expecting to retire in a few years. Her daughter also worked at the factory. As far as we know, she had asked to switch from the morning shift to the night shift so she could take her grandchildren to school.”

“There are a lot of rumors about the cause, but we don’t know anything for sure. Those who survived, survived by a miracle,” says Tzelis.

Chronology of the events

The previous night, factory workers had gathered to celebrate the cutting of the New Year’s cake at a nearby establishment. Due to the celebration, fewer people were on shift. The night shift, which typically had around 30 workers, was reduced to just 13 that fateful night.

According to a former worker and residents of nearby villages who spoke to NEWS 24/7, when the explosion occurred, most of the workers were on a break outside the building, and that’s why they survived.

Seven people were injured in the explosion (including one firefighter) and were taken to Trikala General Hospital, where, according to the Ministry of Health, they were discharged by 10:00 AM.

The charred bodies were transferred to Larissa General Hospital for autopsy, which was completed later that day.

The cause of the violent explosion is still unknown, with the Fire Department’s Division of Combating Arson Crimes continuing its investigation into the tragic accident.

A key question remains whether any alert system functioned for the workers, and as Andreas Stoimenidis, president of OSETEE and vice president of the European Agency for Occupational Health and Safety, emphasized, it is particularly concerning that no fire prevention or safety system operated to give people time to escape.

Meanwhile, Dimitris Armagos, president of the Trikala Workers’ Center, speaking on Action24 on Monday evening, referred to inspections that had been carried out at the factory last August, but not in the section where the deadly accident occurred.

“In the summer, we, as the Workers’ Center, requested an intervention from the Labor Inspectorate and Occupational Health and Safety to inspect various workplaces as part of the inspections we wanted to conduct in large factories in the area. Among these inspections, we visited this particular factory,” said Armagos, adding: “As far as we know, the section where the accident happened was not inspected. We also couldn’t enter those specific areas at any other time. So, we don’t know the state of the building or whether all the necessary specifications were met. These are questions we raised with the relevant authorities today. We will also request an expert of our own.”

Earlier, Armagos also mentioned to NEWS 24/7 reporter Ismeni Balale that “we had difficulties approaching the workers from this particular factory. Our access was limited to the gate.”

Meanwhile, a protest was held on Monday afternoon at the central square of Trikala, called by the Workers’ Center. For today, Tuesday, a 24-hour strike was announced, with a gathering scheduled for 11 AM at Rigas Feraios Square.