The director of the “Violanta” factory and the production manager have been given until May 11 to present their defense regarding the fire. Both were released with restrictive conditions and €30,000 bail. They face charges of direct complicity in intentional explosion, serial manslaughter by negligence, and causing bodily harm.
Violanta Factory Fire: Owner remains in custody
The owner of “Violanta,” Konstantinos Tziortziotis, remains in custody as he is also charged with the felony of explosion with possible intent, following the death of five workers.
At least three years of propane leaks
It should be noted that judicial authorities have access to the report by court-appointed expert Mr. Dedes from the Arson Crimes Division. His 124-page report describes the mechanism that caused the fatal leak in a pipeline installed 17 years and 4 months before the fatal explosion, in September 2008, without following any safety specifications.
The expert estimates that the leak had started at least three years ago, during 2022-2023. A critical point is that until road paving work was done over the fatal underground pipeline last summer, because the road was dirt, the propane escaped into the atmosphere. However, after the asphalt was installed, there was no longer an outlet, so the propane found an exit in the fatal undeclared underground space several meters from the leak point.
