Headlines castigate 'criminal murderers'

Greek Reaction

"Murderers" and "Criminals" were the banner headlines screaming from Greece's daily newspapers yesterday. As searchers continued to pull the bodies of Express Samina passengers from the Aegean, the mood of the nation swung between fury and mourning.

"Murderers" and "Criminals" were the banner headlines screaming from Greece's daily newspapers yesterday. As searchers continued to pull the bodies of Express Samina passengers from the Aegean, the mood of the nation swung between fury and mourning.

Though many foreigners, including a few Britons, had been among those bound for Paros on Tuesday night, the roll call of dead was predominantly Greek - 65 out of 66, so far.

For Greece, a nation that prides itself on a 2,500-year maritime tradition, this was its worst ferry accident for 35 years. "Criminals - A Blind Course on Autopilot," said the headline in the normally staid newspaper Eltherotypia. "Murderers," said the daily Eleftheros Typos. The government has promised no mercy would be shown towards those found responsible.

In a show of solidarity, the surprise Olympic 200 metres gold medallist, Konstantinos Kenteris, dedicated his victory yesterday to the victims. "It is a huge tragedy for Greece and a sad moment for us," the 27-year-old said from Sydney.