Two trains collided head on at low speed in northern Italy late Sunday, injuring at least 17 people, none seriously, firemen and the train operator said.
The accident between a high-speed train and a local train happened on the line between Bologna and Rimini, precisely between the city of Faenza and commune of Forli, the fire service announced on social media, mentioning at least 17 individuals were injured.
But a spokesman for national train operator Trenitalia told AFP there were only “minor injuries”, saying most were bruised.
It was a crash at very low speed,” he said, adding that an investigation was underway into what happened.
Photographs published by firefighters displayed the two trains had collided head on, but the front of the local train was still intact.
Transport minister Matteo Salvini, who is also deputy prime minister, said he was following the situation and also confirmed the injuries were minor.
He said he was seeking speedy info on what transpired, and possible accountability.
The collision came three months after five railway workers died after being hit by a train during overnight maintenance on the Milan-Turin line on August 31.
The earlier deadly accident on Italy’s railways was in 2020, when two rail workers died and 31 passengers were injured when a train derailed before dawn near Lodi, south of Milan.
In January 2018, three women died and about 100 people were injured when a packed train derailed near Milan, an accident blamed on poor railway track maintenance.
