Flags are at half-mast in Toumba as the PAOK family mourns again for lives lost in road accidents. This comes after a new tragedy in Romania, where seven Greek fans died while traveling to France to watch their team play against Lyon.
The 1999 tragedy in Tempi is still fresh in everyone’s mind. On October 4th of that year, six young PAOK fans were returning to Thessaloniki by bus after a match in Athens with Panathinaikos when they collided with a truck.
The victims were Charalampos Zapounidis (20), Dimitrios Andreadakis (25), Christina Tziova (18), Anastasios Themelis (22), Georgios Ganatsios (22), and Kyriakos Lazaridis (17). The truck driver also died, making it a total of seven victims. Additionally, 33 others were injured and taken to the hospital in Larissa.
The tragic incident happened two kilometers before the Tempi tolls when the bus driver tried to overtake another vehicle. The severe crash left no chance for rescue. Today, 24 years later, the memory of the six young PAOK fans is honored by the team’s family and the entire Thessaloniki community, which still feels the shock of that day.
Despite the shock within PAOK after the road accident in Lugoj, Romania, PAOK FC released an official update on actions taken since the tragedy and about the upcoming match against Lyon (29/1, 22:00), which will go ahead as planned. As soon as the news broke, a meeting was held under Ivan Savvidis to investigate the accident’s causes, care for the injured, repatriate bodies to Greece, and support victims’ families.
Legal advisor and PAOK FC board member Marios Tsakas is heading to Romania with legal experts to ensure all necessary actions are taken and events are accurately recorded. Support will also be provided to those injured. PAOK FC is in touch with Maximos Mansion and relevant ministers (Interior, Health, Citizen Protection) for smooth coordination with Romanian authorities. They have also contacted the Greek Embassy in Bucharest, with representatives heading to the site of the tragedy.
