Five Italian railway employees died when a train struck them near Turin, according to a report by state railway Rete Ferroviaria Italiana (Rfi) on Thursday.
According to Italian media, the workmen had been rebuilding roughly 10 meters of rail when an empty train carrying 12 carriages sped past Brandizzo station on the route linking Milan and Turin, in the northern part of the country. Police said that the train was moving at a speed of roughly 160 kph.
The victims ranged in age from 22 to 52. Two more employees were there but unharmed and were sent to the hospital for observation. The train driver was given shock treatment on the spot before being sent home. Later, it’s anticipated that he’ll be questioned about the incident.
“Rfi expresses great sorrow … and offers its condolences and closeness to the families of the dead workers,” the company said in a statement.
The Ivrea prosecutor’s office has opened a file for rail disaster and multiple homicide. A communication blunder could not be ruled out, but the mayor of Brandizzo, a tiny town northeast of Turin, said he would wait until the investigation’s conclusion.
Logistically, at least 16 regional trains on the conventional line affected by the suspension have been cancelled while 12 others are limited or partially replaced with buses.
