At least 20 killed as two trains collide in southern Italy
Scene of head-on collision in Puglia described by local mayor as ‘looking like a plane crash’
Emergency services are working to free people from the wreckage of a head-on collision of two trains in southern Italy that left at least 20 people dead and dozens more injured.
The trains crashed on a single stretch of track through an olive grove between the towns of Corato and Andria in Puglia.
“Tears and pain for the victims and their families. But also a lot of
anger. We demand clarity on what happened in Puglia this morning,”
Italy’s prime minister, Matteo Renzi, wrote on social media. He cut
short a visit to Milan to travel to Puglia.
It was not immediately clear how many people had been on the trains
or who the victims were. National media reported that at least one of
the train drivers had been killed.
“It looks like there has been a plane crash,” said the mayor of
Corato, Massimo Mazzilli, who published photos of firemen working
through the wreckage.
Luca Cari, a spokesman for the fire brigade, said. “We are working
with dozens of rescue teams to open up the carriages. The rescue is
complicated because this happened in the middle of the countryside.”
He said they had recovered a young boy alive from the wreckage.
Each train was made up of four carriages. An aerial image showed
carriages smashed and crumpled by the collision, and debris spread out
on either side of the track. Four carriages were left standing upright
on the rails, a fifth had jumped off the tracks, and the other three
appeared pulverised.
A police officer at the crash site said passengers were calling for
help and crying. “A horrific scene, unbelievable,” he told Rai News.
“The worst scene of my life.”
In the aftermath of the crash, a number of survivors sat under olive
trees next to the carriages. “I went barefoot under the wreckage. I dug
my way out under the metal pieces and was able to save my husband. I saw
people in pieces,” one survivor told Telesveva.
One man said he had been listening to music when the crash happened.
“At a certain point I found myself on the floor, and I immediately got
up. I saw the train conductor who was on the floor,” he said, adding
that it was five minutes before he was able to escape from the train.
Local authorities issued an urgent appeal for blood donors on Tuesday
afternoon, requesting the “maximum collaboration” of citizens and
asking everyone in good health to go to the Andria hospital to donate.
“It is important that everyone is aware of the importance of this
gesture of solidarity, essential to guarantee the continuing
availability of blood during this emergency,” the Puglia region said on
Facebook.
There was no immediate reason given for the collision. Italy’s
transport minister, Graziano Delrio, was due to travel to Puglia and
dispatched two government officials to examine the crash site.
Renzi’s comments were echoed on Twitter by the speaker of Italian
parliament, Laura Boldrini, who said: “Close to the families of victims
and those injured in the head-on train crash in Puglia. I hope that
there will soon be clarity on the cause of the disaster.”
The EU’s commissioner for transport, Violeta Bulc, expressed her
condolences online and said she was following the situation closely.
The stretch of track is operated by a private regional rail company,
Ferrotramviaria, which has not yet commented on the incident.
The last major rail disaster in Italy was in 2009 when a freight
train derailed in Viareggio, in the centre of the country. More than 30
people living close to the tracks were killed in the subsequent fire.
Tuesday’s crash occurred north of the regional capital, Bari, in
countryside less than 10 miles from coast. Reputed for its olive oil
production in the heel of Italy’s boot, Puglia has in recent years
become increasingly popular with foreign tourists.
This is dummy text. It is not meant to be read. Accordingly, it is difficult to figure out when to end it. But then, this is dummy text. It is not meant to be read. Period.
ConversionConversion EmoticonEmoticon