“Violanda”: Complaints about undeclared basement and lack of gas detectors

New revelations are coming to light regarding inadequate safety measures at the “Violanta” factory, where five female employees lost their lives in a horrific workplace accident.

As revealed by MEGA, the authorities are examining whether the factory’s basement -where the explosion occurred- was officially declared or not.

It is recalled that there are complaints from relatives of the victims and from employees stating that over the past 15 days there had been a strong odor.

The factory’s safety officers testified to the Fire Service that they believed the smell was coming from a neighboring sewer, while the five sensors installed on the ground floor to detect propane leaks showed no indication, because the leak was in the basement.

In fact, the basement where the deadly explosion occurred was listed as “inactive, undeclared, and with limited access,” and there were no gas leak detectors there, on the grounds that there were no propane pipes in that area.

There, after the accident, it was determined that propane had spread through cracks. At the same time, the two above-ground propane tanks had not been declared.

“Violanta”: What the TEEM report states

At the same time, a TEEM task force conducted an on-site inspection of the debris after the fatal explosion and, according to a report by STAR, the findings state that the plan does not include gas leak detectors.

Furthermore, the report notes that the fatal pipes should not have been buried but placed above ground, so that any leak could be detected.

The inspection also brought to light another critical factor: the distance of the propane tanks from the main building. The report states that their placement was incorrect and did not comply with the prescribed safety distances required for industrial units of this scale.

This specific report has not been submitted to the Fire Service but will be filed directly with the Trikala Prosecutor’s Office.

“Violanta”: Owner and two executives released for the fatal explosion

At the same time, the interrogation process of the three individuals arrested over the explosion at the “Violanta” factory in Trikala -where five female workers lost their lives- was lengthy. These include the owner of the business, the safety officer, and the shift supervisor.

According to information, after their statements -which lasted four hours- they were released, as the investigation has not yet been completed, is at a preliminary stage, and expert assessments from all involved parties have not yet been incorporated.

Once the prosecutor has the complete case file in hand, decisions will be made regarding the next steps.