A medical aircraft carrying two survivors of a horrific minibus crash in Romania landed in Thessaloniki on Thursday, as the city began a somber homecoming for seven young PAOK soccer fans killed in the tragedy.
The survivors, aged 20 and 28, are being transported by air ambulance from Timisoara to Thessaloniki’s Papageorgiou Hospital. Doctors said the pair would undergo extensive examinations before being admitted to clinical wards. A third survivor remains hospitalized in Romania in serious condition following emergency spinal surgery on Wednesday.
The crash occurred Tuesday near Lugoj, western Romania, when a van carrying 10 fans to a Europa League match against Lyon in France collided head-on with a truck. The victims, all men in their 20s, hailed from the regions of Imathia, Pieria and western Thessaloniki.
The repatriation of the seven deceased is expected later Thursday via a military transport plane. Hundreds of PAOK supporters, many on motorcycles, are preparing to meet the aircraft at Thessaloniki airport to escort the caskets in a procession to Toumba Stadium.
At the stadium, the atmosphere was heavy with grief. Fans from across the country have transformed Gate 4 into a shrine, piling scarves, candles and flowers beneath a massive banner reading, “Farewell, Brothers.”
On Wednesday night, Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew visited the stadium immediately after arriving in the city to offer prayers and condolences.
“I came to express the support of the Mother Church to the families and the entire PAOK community,” Bartholomew said, joined by Metropolitan Philotheos of Thessaloniki.
Investigators are currently examining a survivor’s claim that the vehicle’s lane assist system may have caused the steering wheel to lock during an overtaking maneuver, though authorities have not yet confirmed the cause of the collision.
The tragedy has prompted an outpouring of solidarity across Greek sports, with rival clubs and the team’s scheduled opponent, Lyon, planning tributes to honor the victims.