Macedonian Press Agency: News in English, 05-10-20

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

CONTENTS

[01] THE SAMPLES FROM INOUSES TESTED NEGATIVE FOR BIRD FLU

[02] BABY INJURED IN TRAIN DERAILMENT TO UNDERGO SURGERY

[03] THE TURKISH AUTHORITIES CAUSED PROBLEMS TO EURO-DEPUTY VARVITSIOTIS

[04] THE INJURED INFANT UNDERWENT HEAD SURGERY

[05] THE TRAIN DERAILMENT IS ATTRIBUTED TO HUMAN ERROR

[06] THE 20TH KOSMIMA OPENS IN THESSALONIKI TOMORROW

[07] THE DERAILED TRAIN HAD A MECHANICAL FAILURE REPAIRED AT KILKIS STATION

[08] CROSS-BORDER COOPERATION CONFERENCE IN THE CITY OF DRAMA

[09] INTERCITY TRAIN DERAILED

[01] THE SAMPLES FROM INOUSES TESTED NEGATIVE FOR BIRD FLU

The Veterinary Laboratories Agency at Weybridge, Britain informed the National Bird Flu Reference Institute in Greece that the turkey samples taken from a family farm at the tiny Aegean island of Inouses on October 17 tested negative for bird flu H5 strain, based on the rapid diagnostic testing method RT-PCR.

The tests for the isolation of the virus are in progress and final results will be made public in the following days.

[02] BABY INJURED IN TRAIN DERAILMENT TO UNDERGO SURGERY

The eight-month-old baby injured in the Adentro train derailment earlier today will undergo surgery. The rest 17 train passengers who were slightly injured were taken to Thessaloniki hospitals to be treated.

Regarding the conditions of the accident, Central Macedonia Fire Department Regional Commander Konstantinos Skokas clarified that the train derailed just before entering the station and the fire broke out in the last car with the train's engine and fuel.

He also stated that all cars have been searched and no trapped passengers were found adding that the search will be repeated when a special Fire Department crew will lift the overturned cars.

[03] THE TURKISH AUTHORITIES CAUSED PROBLEMS TO EURO-DEPUTY VARVITSIOTIS

Head of New Democracy Euro-deputies Ioannis Varvitsiotis was banned entry from the Turkish authorities maintaining that the European Parliament passport is not a valid travel document for Turkey.

Mr. Varvitsiotis arrived in Istanbul from Brussels to attend the 9th Dialogue of the Orthodox Church with the European People's Party-European Democrats Parliament Group.

The Euro-deputy stated that the Turkish authorities did not allow him to enter the country maintaining that the European Parliament passport is not a valid travel document for Turkey.

After an intense mobilization that lasted three hours and a demarche by the Greek authorities, Mr. Varvitsiotis was allowed to enter Turkey. However, first he had to pay a visa fee while he was forced to return to the airport because the Turkish authorities had failed to stamp his passport.

Mr. Varvitsiotis stated that the stance of the Turkish authorities is not consistent with Turkey's EU accession efforts and stressed that such actions hurt the country's image just before the 9th Dialogue of the Orthodox Church with the European People's Party-European Democrats Parliamentary Group is held which, among others, aims at promoting Turkey's European face.

[04] THE INJURED INFANT UNDERWENT HEAD SURGERY

The eight-month-old infant seriously injured in the train derailment today underwent head surgery at AHEPA Hospital in Thessaloniki.

The baby's condition is characterized as critical but stable. The infant is conscious and when it recovers fully will be transferred to Giorgos Gennimatas Hospital intensive care unit.

[05] THE TRAIN DERAILMENT IS ATTRIBUTED TO HUMAN ERROR

In a statement issued by the Hellenic Railways Organization, OSE, on today's train derailment in Adentro, near Thessaloniki, it is mentioned that the accident was the result of human error, adding that two employees were suspended from their duties until the investigation underway is completed.

The accident happened at 12:30 pm today when the Intercity IC71 train from Alexandroupolis to Piraeus entered Adentro Station, near Thessaloniki. The four-car train was carrying a total of 140 passengers.

Eighteen passengers, among them an eight-month-old infant, were injured.

[06] THE 20TH KOSMIMA OPENS IN THESSALONIKI TOMORROW

The 20th KOSMIMA Exhibition opens in Thessaloniki tomorrow for trade visitors with the participation of 250 exhibitors from Greece (181) and other 16 countries (69) organized by HELEXPO.

In the international exhibition of jewelry, watches, precious stones and equipment to last until October 24 participate exhibitors from Austria, Belgium, France, Italy, Britain, Switzerland, Turkey, India, Germany, Iran, Lithuania, Denmark, Poland, Spain, Canada and Czech Republic.

[07] THE DERAILED TRAIN HAD A MECHANICAL FAILURE REPAIRED AT KILKIS STATION

At least three of the 140 passengers on the Intercity 71 train that derailed in the region of Adentro, near Thessaloniki, earlier today were taken to a Thessaloniki hospital with serious or lighter injuries, while the fire that broke out in one of the derailed cars was put out.

According to reliable information from the Hellenic Railways Organization, OSE, the train that originated from Alexandroupolis, northeast Greece, had a mechanical failure repaired at Philadelphia Station in Kilkis and continued its trip to Thessaloniki with a 40-minute delay.

When the train entered Adentro Station, where no stop is made, three of its four cars derailed and one of them caught fire.

The passengers managed to leave the train quickly and two of them trapped inside were freed by the train station personnel.

[08] CROSS-BORDER COOPERATION CONFERENCE IN THE CITY OF DRAMA

Until Saturday, October, 22 the city of Drama, north Greece, will be the host of a major cross-border cooperation event in Europe.

The conference on cross-border cooperation and the implementation of the Lisbon strategy is organized under the auspices of the East Macedonia-Thrace Region General-Secretariat.

The main speakers today are Greek Deputy Foreign Minister Evripidis Stilianidis and Bulgaria's Regional Development Minister Asen Gagauzov. Committee of the Regions President Peter Straub will also attend and address the conference.

The conference is organized by the Euroregion Nestos-Mesta founded in 1990 and events will take place both in the city of Drama and neighboring Gotse Delcev in Bulgaria. It takes place within the framework of the Association of European Border Regions (AEBR) General Assembly and Annual Conference.

The event will attend over 250 high ranking EU, and Council of Europe officials, as well as general secretaries from all European countries and Euroregions and cross-border cooperation officials from the Atlantic to the Urals and from the Baltic to the Mediterranean Sea.

[09] INTERCITY TRAIN DERAILED

Three people were seriously injured and a number of others sustained light injuries when three cars of an INTERCITY train from Thessaloniki to Athens derailed at 12:45 pm in the region of Adentro, near Thessaloniki.

The train left the Thessaloniki station with a half-hour delay.

Most of the train passengers managed to get out by themselves while the injured passengers were able to leave the derailed cars, one of which was on fire, with the help of rescue crews.

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