“Violanta”: Emotional farewell to Stavroula Boukouvala

Relatives and friends are bidding a final farewell today to three of the five workers who lost their lives in the deadly explosion at the facilities of the biscuit factory “Violanta” in Trikala.

At this time, at the Holy Church of Agios Athanasios in Proastio, Karditsa, the funeral of Stavroula Boukouvala, a mother of three children, is being held. A large crowd, holding flowers, has gathered at the church to say goodbye to the unfortunate woman. Behind the tears lies a demand for justice.

At 15:00, the funeral service for Anastasia Nasiou will be held in her place of origin, in Grizano, Trikala.

At 16:00, at the Holy Church of Agios Athanasios in Megalochori, Trikala, the funeral of Agapi Bounova will take place.

Tomorrow, Friday (30/01), at 11:30 in the morning, the funeral of the 45-year-old Eleni Katsarou will be held at Agios Konstantinos in Trikala, and at 14:00 the funeral of the 42-year-old Vasiliki Skampardoni will take place at the Holy Church of Agios Dimitrios in Filyra, Trikala.

Mourning and anguish for the victims of the tragedy – “Workers left unprotected”

Silent pain, anger and unanswered “whys” make up the scene in Grizano, Trikala, where in a short while the funeral of Anastasia Nasiou will be held.

The village is plunged into mourning. In a report by Orange Press Agency, residents of the village spoke about the woman who lost her life, while there were also complaints about working conditions and the stance of the employer toward inspection mechanisms and trade unions.

“We learned nothing about the substance”

Thymios, the victim’s second cousin, describes the shock of the news and the atmosphere prevailing in the village:

“I found out, I heard it on television. And it hit me like that… suddenly like that… I know her because she is my second cousin. Second cousin. I was very upset. Very much… How the village is… it’s like this… Difficult with the anxiety, like this. We have nothing else to say. The same things, the same things. What can we say…”

At the same time, Kosmas, a resident of the area, refers to the tragic fate of the family and the children who are far away, expressing concern about the causes:

“That’s what we learned. What a mess… What can I tell you now, guys… Very sad. She has three children. One is in Athens and the other two are in Germany. We learned nothing, nothing about the substance. Whether there was an electricity leak, whether there was an LPG leak… That’s what I imagine.”

“Here they do whatever they want”

Particularly striking is the testimony of Tasos, a neighbor of the unfortunate woman, who speaking to the camera denounced the lack of protection for workers, noting characteristically that in the past entry had been forbidden to the Labor Center:

“The whole village… Everyone is saddened. The girl left like that… A neighbor. Last July, the Labor Center went to intervene. From then on… Did they check it? Didn’t they check it? Nobody knows. No… My son worked at the other factory now. That’s how life is… There is no protection for workers, there isn’t. In any way. The Labor Center went and they wouldn’t let them go inside, to inform the people, that is. They don’t allow it. Here it’s ‘they do whatever they want.’”