Suspected Sabotage Hits Rail Line To Winter Olympics Venues

MILAN, Feb 11 (Reuters) – A suspected act of sabotage damaged a small section of the railway line leading to the Bormio and Livigno Olympic mountain venues early on Wednesday, Italian police said, following similar attacks near Bologna at the weekend.

A spokesman for state-owned railway Ferrovie dello Stato said the incident had not caused any disruption to services as technicians worked through the night to ensure safe working conditions ahead of the busy morning period.

He said no one has claimed responsibility so far.

On Saturday, the first full day of the Milan Cortina Olympic Games, damage to rail infrastructure near Bologna caused delays of up to 2-1/2 hours for high-speed, intercity and regional services.

An anarchist group claimed responsibility for this attack.

A fire that broke out overnight near Abbadia Lariana on the eastern shore of Lake Como burned seven cables in the lineside switching unit on the Lecco-Tirano line.

Police said a bottle of flammable liquid residue was found at the scene.

Authorities said an investigation has been launched and initial assessments point to arson as a possible cause. (Additional reporting by Emilio Parodi; Editing by Alison Williams)