Support measures announced for relatives of Tempe dead

The immediate relatives of people killed in the Tempe railway disaster will receive a special pension, as part of a package of measures announced by the government on Friday.

In a joint press release, the ministries of Finance, Education, Labor and Social Affairs, Health, Justice and the Interior said it was the "minimum duty of the state, in these circumstances, … to relieve and support, with modesty and respect, the relatives of the victims and the injured of the tragic train accident at Tempe."

The special pension will be paid to the spouse and children of the deceased or, in the absence of a spouse and children, to the parents of the deceased. The tax-free allowance will be paid retroactively from March 1, regardless of other income or pension being received by the beneficiary. The special pension will amount to four times the national pension.

In addition,...