At least three people have died and 13 have been left seriously injured after a commuter train derailed near Milan, Italian government officials have reported.
Several carriages of a regional train came off the tracks at Pioltello Limito station early this morning (Thursday), Italian state-owned rail company Ferrovie dello Stato said.
Television footage showed fire brigades trying to free people trapped inside the wagons of the train, Reuters reported.
“There currently are three dead, five severely injured and eight injured in ‘code yellow’, all of which in hospital,” the body representing the Interior Ministry in Milan said in an emailed statement.
Search and rescue efforts ended and all those who presented minor injuries were given shelter in a nearby gymnasium.
The head of Milan police said an investigation has been opened, with railway police interrogating the train driver.
A collapse of the tracks or a problem with a track switch are being investigated as potential causes of the incident.
A spokesperson for rail operator Trenord said the train was travelling at normal speed as it was approaching the station.
Train circulation between Milan and the nearby city of Brescia was halted after the accident, Ferrovie dello Stato added.
Trenord is a joint venture between railway operator FNM and Trenitalia, a unit of Ferrovie dello Stato.