Macedonian Press Agency: News in English, 04-09-27

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From: The Macedonian Press Agency at http://www.mpa.gr and http://www.hri.org/MPA.

CONTENTS

[01] TRAGIC ACCIDENT WITH A BUS CARRYING SCHOOL STUDENTS

[02] VOUGIAS HAS RESIGNED

[03] A SHIP CARRYING ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS SENT OUT AN SOS

[04] GOVERNMENT MEASURES TO LIMIT TRAFFIC ACCIDENTS

[05] LOSSES IN THE ASE

[06] ROUSOPOULOS ON THE BLOODY ACCIDENT AT ASPRONERI

[07] NIKOS ATHANASAKIS WILL BE PASOK'S PRESS SPOKESMAN TEMPORARILY

[08] SCHOOLS IN GREECE WILL BE CLOSED ON WEDNESDAY IN MOURNING

[09] A TANKER SHIP CARRYING CHEMICALS HAS RUN AGROUND

[10] PLANS TO HAVE THE GREEK AIRBUS SHOT DOWN IN CASE THERE WAS A BOMB

[01] TRAGIC ACCIDENT WITH A BUS CARRYING SCHOOL STUDENTS

A tragic accident happened a few minutes before 10 o'clock this morning involving a bus carrying school students from Farkadona, Trikala central Greece. The students were on their way to Athens to watch Paralympic Games sports events.

In the region of Asproneri, between Agios Konstantinos and Kamena Vourla, a truck with a container collided with the bus carrying 37 school students and 3 teachers.

Seven of the students were killed and 2 are heavily injured.

Prime Minister Kostas Karamanlis ordered the immediate mobilization of the state mechanism. Psychologists have been sent on the scene to offer support to parents and students. Both drivers are being questioned by traffic police.

[02] VOUGIAS HAS RESIGNED

Opposition party of PASOK press spokesman Spiros Vougias submitted his resignation to PASOK President Giorgos Papandreou today citing the bad atmosphere created after the recent talk over his daughter's transfer from the University of Xanthi to Thessaloniki's Aristotle University.

Mr. Vougias thanked Mr. Papandreou for the confidence he had in him and reminded that from the first moment he had stated that he was ready to resign if the PASOK President thought it was necessary.

[03] A SHIP CARRYING ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS SENT OUT AN SOS

A ship carrying more than 80 illegal immigrants sent out an SOS signal reporting inflow of water early this morning, while sailing south of Kalos Limenas in the island of Crete.

The ship is at international waters, 8 miles south of Mesaria, Crete and is being watched closely by two Greek Coast Guard vessels.

The efforts made by the Coast Guard focus on keeping the ship from entering the Greek territorial waters given the fact that the SOS signal is regarded as pretence in order to be able to disembark its passengers in Crete.

[04] GOVERNMENT MEASURES TO LIMIT TRAFFIC ACCIDENTS

On the occasion of today's tragic accident, government spokesman Thodoris Rousopoulos reminded that since April 14, 2004 the Minister of Transportation had ordered the intensification of technical inspections on vehicles used in school fieldtrips. Special teams formed by the prefectures perform the inspections both on school buses and trucks.

Also, on March 26, 2004 the Minister of Education issued a circular calling for safety regulations to be strictly observed in fieldtrips or any other transportation of students.

Meanwhile, the Minister of Transportation with a September 9, 2004 decision makes seatbelts mandatory for new school buses and not just nursery or elementary school buses.

The government spokesman mentioned that traffic accidents is one of the major problems faced by Greece and the government has taken measures for the safe movement of school buses and other heavy vehicles.

[05] LOSSES IN THE ASE

Losses were recorded in the Athens Stock Exchange today. The general index dropped to -0.96% at 2331.94 points, while the volume of transactions was at 106,6 million euros.

Of the stocks trading today, 55 had gains and 239 had losses, while the value of 109 stocks remained unchanged.

[06] ROUSOPOULOS ON THE BLOODY ACCIDENT AT ASPRONERI

Greek government spokesman Thodoris Rousopoulos extended the government's condolences to the families of the victims in the car accident today in which a total of 7 schoolchildren were killed when their bus, carrying them to Athens to watch the Paralympic Games, collided with a truck at Asproneri, in the Athens-Lamia national motorway.

Mr. Rousopoulos stated that those responsible for the tragic accident will be punished.

He said that the Prime Minister is briefed constantly since the first moment and the Ministers of Public Order, Education and Health arrived at the scene of the accident at his order.

Mr. Rousopoulos stated that a total of 12 ambulances arrived at the scene of the accident from Lamia, 2 from Chalkida and 2 from Athens. Three mobile emergency aid units and 2 emergency social aid units for psychological support were also sent to the region, while the Larisa Hospital as well as, the hospitals of the wider region were put in a state of alert. The KAT Hospital and the Children's Hospital in Athens were also put in a state of readiness. The Ministry of Health has sent 100 units of blood to the Lamia Hospital, while the Ministry of Defense has offered Super Puma helicopters.

The government spokesman stated that the Prime Minister has cancelled all his scheduled meetings today and will hold a meeting with the Ministers of Public Order, Health and Education as soon as they return to Athens.

Also, it was announced that Mr. Karamanlis will not attend the Paralympic Games medal presentation ceremony at the Olympic Stadium this evening.

[07] NIKOS ATHANASAKIS WILL BE PASOK'S PRESS SPOKESMAN TEMPORARILY

Nikos Athanasakis will be opposition party of PASOK press spokesman temporarily until PASOK President Giorgos Papandreou appoints the successor of Spiros Vougias who submitted his resignation today.

Spiros Vougias submitted his resignation from the post of PASOK press spokesman citing the bad atmosphere created after the recent talk over his daughter's transfer from the University of Xanthi to Thessaloniki's Aristotle University.

Mr. Vougias thanked Mr. Papandreou for the confidence he had in him and reminded that from the first moment he had stated that he was ready to resign if the PASOK President thought it was necessary.

[08] SCHOOLS IN GREECE WILL BE CLOSED ON WEDNESDAY IN MOURNING

Schools will be closed in Greece on Wednesday in mourning for the tragic accident that happened this morning in the Athens-Lamia national motorway.

A total of 7 students from Farkadona, Trikala, central Greece, were killed in the accident that happened when the bus with 37 students collided with a truck.

The decision to keep the schools closed on Wednesday was made by Minister of Education Marietta Giannakou.

The state and political leadership extended its condolences to the families of the victims. Archbishop Christodoulos of Athens and All of Greece also issued a statement of condolences.

[09] A TANKER SHIP CARRYING CHEMICALS HAS RUN AGROUND

A tanker ship under Italian flag carrying 7,500 tons of chemicals ran aground at dawn today near rocky islets off the coasts of Salamina.

The tanker ship Kristallo with a 15-member crew carries chemicals from Spain to Cesme in Turkey.

For the moment there has been no leak, but a team of Coast Guard officers and divers have arrived on the scene to determine if there is such likelihood. Efforts will be made later to tug away the ship.

[10] PLANS TO HAVE THE GREEK AIRBUS SHOT DOWN IN CASE THERE WAS A BOMB

The RAF military planes that escorted the Greek Olympic Airlines Airbus until it made an emergency landing at Stansted Airport in Essex, east of London, had orders to shoot it down in the case of a bomb attack or hijack, according to British newspapers The Guardian and Daily Telegraph.

The passenger plane was ready to depart from Stansted Airport a little after 10 am this morning to continue its trip to New York.

The plane with 301 people on board had departed yesterday from Athens and was led to Stansted Airport yesterday afternoon when an anonymous caller warned Athens newspaper To Ethnos that there was a bomb on OA Flight 411 to New York.

The passengers spent the night at a hotel near the airport and the British authorities after searching the plane and its baggage confirmed that nothing suspicious had been found.

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