Tragic turn of events led to Corfu woman being on train involved in crash

It was a tragic turn of events that led to Corfu woman Maria Miari being on the train involved in the accident in Tempi that cost the lives of 57 people. According to close family, the 55-year-old woman was asked to do an extra shift on the Athens-Thessaloniki passenger train although she had completed her regular shift and was on her way back to her home in Athens on another train.

Her funeral will take place at 16:00 today, Tuesday 7 March, at Agion Apostolon church in Vitalades. Her body was identified at Larissa Hospital using a DNA sample from her father.

Extra shift

The 55-year-old was killed in the tragic rail accident in Tempi whilst on duty. According to her family, she was returning to her home in Athens on another train having completed her shift. However, the company contacted her and told her to get off the train and board the Athens-Thessaloniki passenger train to do an extra shift due to the lack of personnel.

Knowing that she had completed her shift, her sisters didn't connect her with the accident at first. However, as she didn't answer their calls the following day, they contacted her husband, who told them that their younger sister had been on the ill-fated train.

Corfu

Her two sisters, along with her husband, went immediately to Larissa and her father provided a DNA sample at Lefkimmi Health Centre as he couldn't travel for health reasons. 

The body of the 55-year-old woman was brought to Corfu on Sunday evening so that she could be buried in Vitalades, where her mother was from. She came from Perivoli but had lived in Geraka, Athens for many years and worked as an inspector on the trains.