A damaged passenger train is seen after a collision with another in the middle of an olive grove in the southern village of Corato, near Bari, Italy, in this handout picture released by Italian Firefighters July 12, 2016. © Italian Firefighters / Reuters
At least 20 people have been killed and dozens injured in a head-on collision between two trains in the south of Italy, a regional official has announced. Emergency services are already at the scene trying to treat the injured.
The incident took place near the city of Bari on Italy’s Adriatic coast, between the rural towns of Andria and Corato. A total of 34 people have been injured following the crash while 18 people who have been taken to hospital who are in a critical condition.
"We are working with dozens of rescue teams to open up the carriages," said Luca Cari, a fire service spokesman.
"The rescue is complicated because this happened in the middle of the countryside," he added.
The trains came head to head on an area of single track. The line, which runs northwest of Bari in the ‘boot of Italy’ is busy, with over 200 trains using the line every day. Work had been taking place to add an extra line to ensure that trains would not possibly meet in the middle of the track.
There are still a number of passengers trapped in the train carriages, with rescue workers working frantically to reach the injured. A child was pulled from the wreckage and was taken to hospital by air ambulance, Il Messagero reports.
Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi has called the devastating train crash “a moment of tears” and pledged not to rest until the cause of the crash is determined.
Renzi had been on a visit to the Museum of Science and Technology in Milan, where he addressed the families of the victims of the rail disaster, adding that he would return to Rome immediately.
Post a Comment