At least 3 killed, 5 injured after train derails in Italian city of Milan

A train derailment near Milan killed between three and five people on Thursday, a fire brigade official at the city’s control room told Reuters.

State train firm Ferrovie dello Stato said in a statement a regional train, operated by Trenord, derailed at the Pioltello Limito station, some 40 kilometres from Milan, without giving details on potential casualties.

According to news agency Associated Press, “The Trenord derailed at the Pioltello Limito station on the outskirts of the city, halting train traffic into and out of Italy’s financial capital for hours. At least two main cars peeled off the rails but were still standing, albeit at an angle. Rescue crews gingerly climbed through them helping passengers escape.”

It was the latest incident involving Italy’s aging rail system. In 2016, 23 people were killed when two trains collided on a single track in an olive grove in Puglia, southeastern Italy. In 2009, 32 people were killed when a freight train carrying liquefied petroleum gas derailed and exploded in Viareggio, in central Italy’s Tuscany region.