Two trains crashed into each other at a moderate speed in northern Italy late Sunday, injuring at least 17 people, none seriously, firefighters and the train operator said. The collision between a high-speed train and a regional train occurred between Bologna and Rimini, specifically between Faenza and the commune of Forli. The national rail network, Trenitalia, operated both trains.
Several passengers were trapped as the cars of both trains smashed into each other and crushed into a heap of buckled metal. The force of the crash lifted one train car vertically until it was nearly perpendicular to the tracks, while another passenger carriage was ripped almost in half. The cause of the accident is under investigation.
The crash occurred on a stretch of track that runs through the hilly countryside, with olive trees flanking either side of the line. Fire service spokesman Luca Cari said dozens of rescuers were working to open up the mangled carriages and rescue any people still trapped inside. “We are seeing a lot of damage,” he told reporters at the scene. “It’s a tragic accident.”
A video of the aftermath showed twisted and burned train cars scattered among the rubble and black smoke rising above the town. The local mayor of Corato, Massimo Mazzilli, said the area was like a war zone. Residents fled and gathered on the streets to await news of their loved ones. Police blocked off roads into the town as firefighter helicopters circled overhead.
The two trains were both carrying about 100 people. The head-on collision occurred in heavy fog, but the exact circumstances of the accident are unclear. The crash also caused the front end of one train to be pushed off the tracks and the rear end of the other to fall on top of it. The cars were crushed into a heap of buckled metal, and some were thrown off the tracks. The crash occurred around 10:45 p.m. local time (21:45 GMT) Sunday.
Italian Transport Minister Matteo Renzi visited the accident site in the countryside east of Bari, about 130 miles from Milan. He expressed his deep sorrow and offered condolences to the families of those who lost their lives, according to Sky TG24. He praised the work of emergency services.
Sobs and cries echoed outside an Italian hospital Wednesday as relatives began to identify some of the 23 people killed in the deadly crash of two passenger trains. One by one, they were called into the mortuary in the southern city of Bari to confirm their identities. Many left crying and screaming.
The collision of the two trains was the deadliest train disaster in Italy since a deadly derailment at Lodi in 2020, killing two rail workers and injuring dozens of other passengers. That disaster was blamed on poor track maintenance. In the aftermath, the government ordered a complete inspection of Italy’s railways.
