Train kills five rail workers in Italy

Five persons were killed when a train collided with railway personnel near an Italian station at high speed.

The employees, aged 22 to 52, were killed while replacing a section of a track outside Turin’s northern city limits.

Report says they had been working on the line between Turin and Milan when the empty passenger train went through Brandizzo station at a reported 160km/h (100mph).

Mayor Paolo Bodoni said that an investigation was underway.

Meanwhile, two colleagues were unharmed but were transported to the hospital for evaluation. The train driver was treated for shock at the site before being sent home. He is expected to be questioned about the accident later.

The Italian railway network, RFI, issued a statement expressing “deep sorrow” for the event. It also expressed “deep condolences” to the families of those who died.

Mr. Bodoni described the incident as “chilling” and a “huge tragedy.”

Reports said the workers had been replacing about 10m of track when the empty train transporting a dozen wagons went through Brandizzo station at high speed.

Some of the victims were dragged along the track for hundreds of meters.

The mayor of Brandizzo, a small town north-east of Turin, said he would wait for the results of the investigation, but that a communication fault could not be ruled out.