ROME – A landslide has slammed into a small commuter train travelling through the Italian Alps, killing at least nine people.
More than 30 others were injured, many seriously, in the incident, which took place yesterday near Merano, a small town close to Italy’s border with Austria.
At least one carriage was destroyed, its windows shattered, and it was only prevented from plunging into the river Adige below when it rolled into trees.
The wreckage was streaked with mud from the landslide, which was unleashed by a burst irrigation pipe.
The fire department in Bolzano, the Alpine region’s largest city, said nine people were killed. Officials initially had reported 11 dead, but said that was due to confusion in the first hours after the tragedy. Three people were believed to be still missing last night.
Helicopters, ambulances and firefighters rushed to the scene. Rescuers with shovels were digging in the mud, while a huge crane was on site to remove the wreckage. Giuseppe Marazzi of the local firefighters said seven of the injured were in hospital in serious condition.
The line is one of Italy’s most modern and was opened only five years ago. The two-carriage train had been nearing its destination of Merano after departing from the small town of Malles.
Filled with local commuters and students, it is believed to have been passing by at the exact moment that a large irrigation pipe above it burst.
“A mass of mud and water knocked down the first carriage into the ditch,” said a fire service spokeswoman. “All of the dead were in the first carriage, which was pulled down into the ditch.”
The incident on the line, which runs between the Adige river and mountains, happened shortly after 9am local time. Help arrived within a few minutes. Helicopters, ambulances and firefighters rushed to the scene to rescue survivors. – (AP)