A municipality worker in Patras lost his left hand when a bag he was carrying to the local landfill exploded. The circumstance of the explosion raise many question-marks as the worker had picked the bag together with other waste from a local court.
According to a statement by the Patras Municipality, the cleaning workers were assigned to collect waste from the First Instance Court in Patras upon a request by the latter.
Local news agency Tempo24.gr published the Court paper requesting the removal of the waste. The paper describes the waster to be consisting of “electronic devices, furniture pieces, tools for theft, fake passports etc”. There is not mention of dangerous explosives as their removal follows another procedure. The waste was mostly packed in cartons and was kept in the court storage rooms for several years.
The Patras Municipality is seeking the responsible for the tragic accident, while police is investigating the issue.
During control checks at the two trucks that transferred the Court waste to the landfill of Xerolakas and as well to the landfill itself, police and pyrotechnic experts found 2-3 weapons and bullets.
The question puzzling the police is how was it possible that weapons and bullets were in the Court waste when there is a specific protocol for such material.
Meanwhile, the 52-year-old municipality worker had to have his left hand amputated, from the wrist downwards, in the Hospital of Rio where he was immediately transferred after the accident.
“we were sent like sheep to slaughter, everybody knows that such material cannot be transferred to Xerolakkas and be deposited there,” the chairman of the municipality workers’ union told tempo24.
The Municipality of Patras insists in finding out who has the responsibility for the irresponsible transfer.
