At least two people were killed and dozens injured in a tram derailment in Milan, northern Italy, which resulted in a collision with a building, authorities said. The accident took place in the northern Italian city in the afternoon, prompting a large emergency response to deal with the aftermath.
The accident occurred when the three-car tram derailed and hit the side of a building. A 60-year-old man, who was described as a pedestrian, was killed in the accident.
The other victim, as well as most of the 40 injured in the accident, were all passengers in the tram.
The injured were quickly attended to by civil protection forces and emergency services. Emergency tents were set up to attend to those injured in the accident.
The derailment happened suddenly and violently. “I thought there was an earthquake. I was sitting down and fell on the floor along with the other passengers,” said a male passenger to the Ansa news agency.
The tram reportedly ran into a traffic light before smashing the window of a nearby restaurant. A delivery rider who was waiting at the traffic light and a young man who was on the pavement escaped injury, according to reports on La Repubblica’s website.
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The woman passenger who boarded the tram at Piazza della Repubblica said that she had been standing next to the driver when the tram ran into the building. “I just heard an enormous bang,” said Anna, who was aged 27 and had been in an office nearby, according to AFP. “I saw a bit of the tram had gone into a shop.”
The tram that was involved in the derailment was part of a new set of bidirectional trams that were recently introduced in Milan; these trams have cabins on both ends for the drivers.
According to Corriere della Sera, these trams were recently introduced just a few weeks ago.
It should also be noted that the exact cause of the derailment has yet to be established. There were speculations that the cause of the accident could have been the fact that the tram took a corner at a high rate as it left Viale Vittorio Veneto.
However, this has yet to be confirmed. According to the mayor of Milan, Giuseppe Sala, who visited the scene of the accident, the driver of the tram was an experienced driver.
According to the mayor, the cause of the accident could have been the fact that the driver had a sudden medical problem that could have led to the accident. “It is a tragedy,” Sala said.
In its statement, the transport operator, Azienda Trasporti Milanesi (ATM), conveyed its sorrow over the accident, saying, “We are deeply shaken by the accident. Our thoughts are with the victims and their families.”
The accident happened at a time when Milan is receiving many international visitors, celebrities, and journalists, among others, for the Milan Fashion Week, an annual event that attracts many people in Milan, Italy, and its environs.
The authorities assured the public that they had made arrangements with the police and other relevant authorities to ensure the smooth flow of people while responding to the accident involving the derailed tram.
According to reports, the accident scene was chaotic in the initial moments following the accident, with passengers claiming that they heard loud noises coming from the underside of the tram before it derailed, while people walking nearby were either thrown to the ground or narrowly escaped being knocked over by the derailed tram.
Civil protection units have established temporary facilities to offer first aid to the injured. It is reported that ambulances were seen carrying the injured to hospitals in central Milan, but no information was given about the conditions of the injured.
The local media have pointed out the unique circumstances of the incident, including the fact that the tram is designed to be driven from either end.
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This is done to enhance the maneuverability of the tram, especially when driving through busy streets. It is noted that the route, number 9, passes through busy urban areas, hence the potential effect of the derailment.
It is noted that the investigation will be conducted by the local transport regulators and the police.
Experts will be involved to study the maintenance records of the tram, the driver, and the video footage of the scene of the incident to establish the cause of the derailment.
The emergency teams are still on the scene, and the Milanese authorities are in touch with the transportation companies to deal with the disruption on line 9.
The public transportation system in the region has been temporarily diverted to allow the officials to complete their assessment.
The civil protection authorities have advised people to avoid the region as rescue efforts are still ongoing. The officials have promised to release more information once they have more information to share.