ATHENS

Findings have surfaced about the safety of Greek railway tunnels, according to a fire brigade investigation, local media reported on Tuesday.

The results of the investigation by the Fire Department showed that 15 out of 18 tunnels in Greece are unsuitable.

In the 15 unsuitable tunnels, there are no safety systems, it noted.

The safety exits that exist will not work in the event of a breakdown or accident that would ensure the safety of the passengers, and the fire brigade and firefighting vehicles will be unable to reach the site, while ventilation and smoke extraction systems are not available to become operational, the results also showed.

Just 1 kilometer (0.6 miles) from the station of Neon Poron, 25 kilometers (about 15.53 mi) from the scene of a recent deadly train accident, there is no electricity, and in the event of a fire, there is no water supply while the hose is not working.

Although there are emergency exits and there is an elevator on site, the elevator does not work due to a lack of electricity.

The investigation also revealed that the exit stairs on the tunnels lead to exit doors, which, however, are locked, making it impossible in the event of an accident for passengers to escape the tunnel.

Even the emergency phones are not working.

According to the daily Kathimerini, a complaint was made by the Thessaly Fire Service Employees’ Union, after revealing serious safety vulnerabilities following an exercise conducted on-site in 2010 with problems existing till now.

These alarming findings came to the surface in the aftermath of the deadly accident on Feb. 28 when two trains moving in opposite directions ended up on the same track in a head-on collision, resulting in 57 deaths and several injuries in Greece’s worst train accident.