VIAREGGIO, Italy - A freight train derailed in the middle of the night in northern Italy, setting off an explosion and a fire that killed at least 13 people and sent 50 others to the hospital, many with severe burns, officials said Tuesday.
The 14-car train was travelling from the northern city of La Spezia to Pisa when a rear car plowed into a residential neighbourhood beside the train station in the Tuscan seaside town of Viareggio just before midnight Monday.
A train car filled with liquefied natural gas exploded, collapsing at least two buildings and setting fire to a vast area. Homes collapsed or burned, killing residents as they slept.
Videos uploaded on YouTube showed a huge plume of fire and smoke towering above Viareggio's low houses. An inferno raged through the night, consuming buildings and cars, while the sound of sirens and explosions pierced the air.
The death toll stood at 13 by Tuesday morning, said Gennaro Tornatore, a spokesman for the firefighters. But he said the number of victims might rise as 300 firefighters and other rescue teams searched through the rubble.
The city of Lucca's top government official, Prefect Carmelo Aronica, told Italy's RAI state TV that at least 50 people were injured, with 35 hospitalized with severe burns. The ANSA news agency reported that three children were pulled alive from the rubble of their collapsed home shortly before daybreak Tuesday.
About 1,000 people were evacuated from their homes as a precaution, and tents were set up around the town hall.
As the firefighters worked to contain the blaze, teams specialized in dealing with nuclear, biological and chemical threats were being brought in to prevent the other gas tanks from exploding. Officials said the fire was contained after several hours, but a smell of burning hung in the air.
``There are dozens and dozens of cars hit by the shock wave and collapsed houses,'' said firefighters' spokesman Luca Cari.
Posted by
Alta Loma, CA, USA
1446 posts
What a sad event!!
Posted by
Eastern Iowa, USA
8059 posts
Just to put people at a little ease, Viareggio is 70 km down the coast, closer to Pisa than the Cinque Terre, though it certainly did/may interupt travel plans for those traveling to the CT from Rome and Florence. If you have been that way, you most certainly passed by the scene of the accident.
Posted by
Mpls, MN
1005 posts
I was so sad to hear about this accident and the loss of life. Have been reading the updates re. this.
We are leaving Mon. for Italy, starting in Venice and then heading to Florence.
We head to the C.T. from Florence on Sat., July 18, and after checking the train schedules on Trenitalia last week, the train we were planning on taking has a stop in Viareggio. Do you think we will have a problem with this as it is several weeks out?
Posted by
Eastern Iowa, USA
8059 posts
The rail lines that run through ViaReggio are main lines, so by the time you travel that way, all will be up and running. Travel may be back to normal even now.