The PAOK crash enters a new phase today, as Greece repatriates the bodies of seven PAOK supporters who lost their lives in a fatal road accident in Romania on Tuesday afternoon. A special flight returns the victims’ remains, while another flight brings back two of the three injured survivors. Romanian authorities continue their investigation, but key questions over the exact cause of the crash remain unanswered.
Identification completed, military aircraft to transport bodies
Authorities completed the identification process for all victims yesterday. A military C-130 aircraft will carry the bodies back to Greece. Two of the injured supporters are now in a condition that allows them to travel home. Health Minister Adonis Georgiadis confirmed that the remaining injured passengers will return to Greece today and will be received by EKAV ambulance crews.
A third injured supporter underwent surgery yesterday after Romanian doctors identified complications during a new MRI scan. In a public statement, Georgiadis said the Ministry of Health remains in constant contact with Romanian authorities regarding the patients’ condition and repatriation arrangements. All survivors have now escaped immediate danger.
Focus turns to cause of the tragedy
Attention has now shifted to determining what caused the PAOK crash in Romania. Investigators must establish whether vehicle safety systems played any role in the accident, including questions over lane assist technology.
Antonis Xylourgidis, lawyer for the Edessa-based car rental company, stated that the van did not have a lane assist system. He said early claims by an injured passenger suggesting a technical fault in such a system do not stand, as the vehicle was manufactured in 2017, before lane assist became mandatory in new EU vehicles.
Survivor recounts moments after crash
One of the injured survivors spoke to MEGA television, saying he remained conscious throughout. “I remember everything. I never lost consciousness. We were like brothers in that van – we were very close friends,” he said.
“I wasn’t driving. I can’t give definite answers. Right now, I’m mourning my friends. Today is a day of grief. I don’t care what statements others have given. I cannot know. I am one of three survivors, with seven dead. I am alone in a room. I don’t speak Romanian, and my English is not good. By chance, I heard the voices of the other two survivors as I passed for an MRI. I know they are alive. Doctors told me they had a stable night. We will likely all leave by plane tomorrow. I have fractures and broken bones.”
He added that he could not understand how the van became trapped in the crash, noting there appeared to be time to move right and avoid impact. He confirmed the vehicle had been rented from Edessa and that the group had assembled in Thessaloniki before departing together. “We were like brothers. Very close friends,” he repeated.
Young supporters who followed PAOK everywhere
The seven victims were young PAOK supporters who followed the club across Greece and Europe, often using their limited savings to stand beside their team. Their journey ended outside Timisoara, Romania, in what locals call a dangerous stretch of road.
Among them was 31-year-old Christos from Polichni, Thessaloniki, well known in the city’s western districts where he worked in hospitality. He supported his family financially and travelled whenever possible to watch his beloved PAOK. Bruges, Lille, and now Lyon had marked his recent trips. Fate, however, had different plans on the so-called “road of death”.
Christos’ father told protothema.gr that he learned of his son’s death through a surviving friend. “The embassy gave us no information. The survivor told us Christos was among the dead. They advised us to travel for identification,” he said.
Grief in communities across northern Greece
Another victim, Vachos from Katerini, originally from Georgia, worked hard from a young age and never missed a PAOK match at Toumba Stadium. He had previously travelled abroad for a PAOK game in Budapest in 2018. This journey proved to be his last.
A relative said the family still has no clear picture of how the crash occurred. “The embassy informed us he is dead. He was with his friends – all one group. We still do not know when his body will return.”
Alexandria in Imathia also mourns three young victims: Vasilis, Konstantinos and Demetris. Known locally as “eaglets” in the PAOK supporters’ club, they were inseparable in life and in the stands. They boarded the black van to once again “rack up the miles” for PAOK. Their journey ended outside Timisoara, where time stopped for three friends who now, as supporters say, “travel to the neighbourhood of angels”.
Patriarch Bartholomew pays tribute at Toumba
Yesterday, Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew visited Toumba Stadium, where hundreds of supporters have left candles in memory of the seven victims. Holding white roses, he lit a candle and spoke emotionally to television cameras.
“In moments like these, many words do not help and cannot ease unbearable pain,” he said. “I come to this place where the memory of these victims is honoured, where PAOK players and supporters experienced historic moments of joy. Their dream ended tragically in Romania. In the blink of an eye, the thread of their lives was cut, plunging PAOK supporters, families, friends and all of Greece into mourning.”
He added that a memorial service will be held after Friday’s liturgy for the seven young men and five women who lost their lives in a separate tragedy in Trikala.
Source: Proto Thema
Also read: Injured PAOK fan: “The steering wheel locked during overtaking”
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