The accident took place at 11.30 local time in an olive
grove in countryside near Andria in Puglia region
The crash happened on a single track, suggesting possibly a
signalling error or a mistake by one of the drivers
Prime Minister Matteo Renzi said the train crash was 'a
moment of tears' and he promised to find out the cause
By CHRIS SUMMERS FOR BE INFORMED
PUBLISHED: 11:21 GMT, 12 July 2016 | UPDATED: 13:12 GMT, 12
July 2016
Two trains have collided head-on in southern Italy, killing
at least 20 people and injuring many more.
They collided in an olive grove in countryside between
Andria and Corato in the Puglia region, close to the so-called heel of Italy.
The line has only a single track and it is thought the crash
was due to either a signalling error or a mistake by one of the drivers, both
of whom are thought to have been killed.
A seven-year-old boy was rescued from the wreck of one of
the trains and airlifted to hospital by helicopter.
Italy's prime minister Matteo Renzi said: 'This is a moment
for tears in which we need to work to recover the victims and wounded.'
Mr Renzi, who interrupted a visit to Milan, said: 'We will
not stop until we know what happened.'
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This photograph, taken from an Italian Fire Brigade
helicopter, show the aftermath of the crash in countryside near Andria
|
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Images from the scene show the carriages crumpled and
smashed. Clearly there were many casualties
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Fire service spokesman Luca Cari said: 'There are 10 dead
and dozens injured. 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.'
It is thought the death toll will rise.
Local fire brigade commander Riccardo Zingaro told Rai TV:
'Some of the carriages are utterly crumpled and the rescue services are pulling
people out, many are wounded. I think many are dead.'
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The crash appeared to have happened in an olive grave on a
sunny morning in the Italian countryside
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The accident happened at 11.30 local time as the trains
passed through a grove of olive trees in the countryside outside Andria.
Italian reports said one of the trains had come from Andria
and the other was from Corato, a short distance to the south-east. They both
contained four carriages but it is not known how many passengers were on board.
Local media said one of the trains was supposed to have
waited at a station for a green light.
The Mayor of Corato, Massimo Mazzilli, said on his Facebook
page: 'It looks like an aeroplane has fallen.'
He also posted images of the crash, showing carriages
crumpled together and forced off the tracks at sharp angles.
News reports said rescue workers were pulling victims from
the rubble, including a small boy who was alive.
Video images showed ambulances responding to the scene with
other rescue workers.
The line is managed by Ferrotramviaria and is used by
thousands of people commuting in and out of the city of Bari.
The BBC reported that work is under way to make the line
north of Bari double track but it came too late for the victims of today's
crash.
The last major rail disaster in Italy was in 2009 when a
freight train derailed and burst into flames in Viareggio, killing 30 local
residents.
THIS YEAR
February 9 - Two trains collide head-on near Bad Aibling,
Germany. 12 people died. 'Human error' given as the cause.
June 5 - A passenger train runs into the back of a freight
train near Saint-Georges-sur-Meuse, Belgium. Three people are killed.
July 12 - Two trains collide head-on near Andria, Italy.
Twenty people are reported to have died.
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The accident happened deep in the countryside north-west of
the city of Bari in the region of Puglia, sometimes known as Apulia
|
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Police officers are shown as the scene of the crash. The
entire line is in the midst of being converted to double track but this section
is still single track, meaning one train has to wait for a green signal
|
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The Italian Fire Brigade working at the crash site where two
trains collided on a single-track stretch between Ruvo di Puglia and Corato
|
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The Mayor of Corato, Massimo Mazzilli, visited the site of
the crash and took this photographs
|
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At least 12 people are believed to have been killed when
these two trains collided. Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi interrupted a
speech in Milan to say the country would 'not stop until we know what happened'
|
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Both of the trains involved are believed to have been
electric trains but the track itself dates from 1965
|
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Firefighters released images to show the crashed carriages
after a head-on collision between two trains between Ruvo and Corato
|
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A firefighter looks out from the inside of one of the
wrecked train carriages
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The Italian fire brigade managed to rescue a child from one
of the carriages but the death toll is due to rise
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