The fire that broke out in the early hours of Monday (26/1) at the premises of the "Violanta" biscuit factory in Trikala had a tragic outcome.

The powerful explosion that occurred at the factory caused its complete destruction, while, according to information from ERT, there are also human victims, as four bodies have been found. As previously reported, five female workers were missing from the fire at the factory. At this time, searches are continuing for one woman.

7 people in hospital, one of them a firefighter

The Fire Department is actively participating in the battle against the resurgence of the fire, with 40 firefighters and 15 vehicles operating at the scene, while six workers and one firefighter were transferred to Trikala Hospital with respiratory problems.

Health Minister Adonis Georgiadis stressed in a statement on SKAI television that “they are in good health,” without commenting on the issue of the missing persons, which, he said, “belongs to the competence of the Greek Police and the Fire Department.”

The company’s statement on the fire

“Today, a serious incident occurred at our factory premises, during the night shift, from a cause that is currently unknown. The Fire Department and the competent authorities are on the scene and are working. There are 5 missing workers and every effort is being made by the Fire Department and the competent authorities to locate them. Right now, all we are concerned about is our people. We stand by them and their families and do everything possible to support them. At the same time, we are fully cooperating with the competent authorities and providing all available assistance.”

The fire

The initial alarm was raised at the Fire Department at dawn, shortly before 4:00. As reported by the Fire Department, the fire broke out in a wing of the factory where 13 people were inside.

According to information from the Fire Department, a strong explosion preceded it and all services, including the Emergency Medical Services (EMAK), are at the scene. In addition, the Emergency Medical Services (EMAK) from Lamia has also been dispatched, while the Hellenic Emergency Medical Services (DIE) has been ordered to proceed. Furthermore, according to the same information, part of the business has collapsed.

The firefighting effort continues with the forces having been reinforced and 40 firefighters with 13 vehicles are operating, while construction machinery and water-carrying local government vehicles are providing assistance.

In 2025, Greek shipowners confirmed for another year their leading position in global shipping, maintaining control in critical sectors and markets. With a total of 727 ships on order in all key sectors, the Greek presence is not just evident. It is decisive. Their strategy, a combination of renewed capacity, efficiency and flexibility, is fully reflected in the orders (169 cargo ships, 141 containerships, 317 tankers, 54 LNG carriers and 46 LPG carriers), covering the main maritime markets of the planet.

A particularly interesting example of how cooperation between Greek and foreign universities can work, both in practice and in practice - and mainly for the benefit of Greek students - is the new initiative "Lab to Market: Bridging Innovation and Entrepreneurship", which is being developed by the renowned Columbia University in New York through its international activities arm Columbia Global Center together with the National Technical University of Athens.

Given that Columbia is ranked among the 10-15 best universities in the world, the transfer of this program to the Greek reality is a major event, with broader implications for the quality of services provided to Greek students and their development opportunities, while they are still within the university community.

In short, "Lab to Market" is a program connecting students from polytechnic schools (at least in the initial phase) with the real market and entrepreneurship. This means that, with the material-financial and intellectual-consulting support of Columbia, NTUA students form working groups, formulate a business idea and then develop it to present it as a refined and implementable proposal.

In the final phase of the “Lab to Market” program, the participating teams compete with each other for the prize, which consists of the initial capital for the creation of a start-up-type business. Multiple cash prizes worth up to 10,000 euros are provided for the most successful business ideas and, of course, close further cooperation with Columbia University, starting with the participants’ mission to New York, with expenses covered entirely by the Lab to Market sponsor, the non-profit organization Blavatnik Family Foundation.

Guidance at every step of the process, from the conception of the idea to the identification of the market sector targeted by each project or even securing financing for the establishment of the company, is provided directly by Columbia, and completely free of charge for students taking part in “Lab to Market”. “The added value of the collaboration lies in the meeting of Columbia’s international experience and renowned academic excellence, with the deep technical and scientific basis of NTUA, creating a strong framework for knowledge transfer and innovative entrepreneurship”, says NTUA Rector Professor Ioannis Hadjigeorgiou.

Applications for 105 projects

More specifically, the program was implemented for the first time in Greece, during the three-day period of January 14-16, 2026, at the Metsoviou facilities, in the Zografou Polytechnic Campus. The interest of Greek students, despite the fact that it was something completely new, was intense, almost surprising the organizers. As the director of the Columbia Global Center in Athens, Stefanos Gandolfo, pointed out to Greek media, “the applications we received exceeded all expectations, as 105 projects were submitted to us by different groups. The members of these groups, in total, are more than 400 students from all over Greece. And this is very pleasing for the start of a very important and original initiative like “Lab to Market””.

The fields of Artificial Intelligence, energy and sustainability, and technological applications in the health sector were chosen for the launch of the Greek version of “Lab to Market”. And it was a rare experience, even moving, to watch the young, aspiring entrepreneurs share their ideas with the audience of the three-day event, to transmit enthusiasm and romance or even ignorance of risk, then to systematize and specialize their initial inspiration by discussing with the Columbia mentors, reaching the final phase, of the competitive stage in a way.

Fights, scuffles, dangerous driving and tensions on the road with other careless drivers were included in the videos uploaded to social media by a large-displacement motorcycle driver, which apparently aroused the interest of the Greek Police.