The findings of the National Technical University of Athens (NTUA) professor, Dimitris Koronis, regarding the Tempi train accident in 2023, were delivered today to the investigator of the case.
Answering the question of whether it is possible that the fireball was caused by flammable material loaded on the train, the professor concludes that in order to have a fireball like the one we saw in Tempe, 2.300 to 3.100 kg of fuel would have been required. Based on the reports of the Greek Police and the videos of the security services company, he concludes that there does not appear to have been a cargo of volatile material on the commercial train that could have caused a fireball.
Regarding silicone oils, he states that under normal conditions they cannot form a fireball and, citing major manufacturers worldwide, notes that "the formation of any substance that could lead to the formation of a flammable mixture cannot be documented."
However, the professor points out that regarding the transformer silicone oils, "the temperature of the oils must have been in the region of 90 degrees Celsius and, consequently, much lower than the flash point of the oils. Therefore, in terms of combustion, it is reasonable to assume that the silicone oils participated in the fire after the fireball developed."
Furthermore, speaking about the possibility of creating flammable components in electric arc conditions, he notes that "the formation of a fireball under high-current electric arc conditions is possible. This means that in the case of the accident under investigation, it is also a possible possibility, since flashes attributed to an electric arc have been recorded."
Regarding the allegations of cargo with flammable material, the expert report states that "from the cargo data of the commercial train and the Autopsy Report of the Greek Police, there is no mention anywhere of the recording of material that would have characteristics required for the formation of a flammable vapor cloud that could lead to the formation of a fireball."
It is also reported that according to a document from the Criminal Investigations Directorate of the Hellenic Police, the three videos depicting the passage of the commercial train through the South Tunnel of Platamonas and the Rapsani Community Center are exact copies of video files from the corresponding security cameras.
“After watching the relevant videos, it is observed that the three open freight cars did not carry anything other than the metal sheets mentioned in the respective bills of lading (no object was found on the metal sheets that could refer to a tank or storage containers for any liquid). Given that the remaining freight cars with the containers did not have the slightest trace of fire, and according to the autopsy report of the Greek Police, the containers were found either with goods according to the bills of lading or empty, it does not appear that there was a cargo of volatile material in the commercial train that could form a cloud of flammable vapors that would lead to the formation of a fireball,” it is reported.
In conclusion, the Polytechnic professor concludes in his research that the formation of the fireball occurred under conditions of an electric arc and that the silicone oils of the transformers likely participated in this pyrosphere, since very high temperatures were developed.
Source: KYPE
