Two dead and about 40 injured in Milan tram accident

A few days after the conclusion of Winter Olympic events in northern Italy, two people were killed and nearly 40 others were injured when a packed tram derailed in Milan.

According to initial information from the fire department, one person is in critical condition.

The accident occurred in the center of Italy’s city of 1.3 million.

A fully loaded tram on the ninth line crashed into a building at the intersection for reasons yet unknown.

Eyewitnesses said that the tram was supposed to go straight but turned and derailed. The driver’s cab was seriously damaged.

Authorities did not initially release further details about the identities of the dead and injured passengers.

“I thought it was an earthquake,” one person on board told Italian news agency ANSA. “I fell to the ground along with the other passengers. It was scary.”

The prosecutor’s office is currently conducting an investigation on charges of reckless homicide and causing bodily harm. It is said that the modern model tram has only been in service for a few months.

The tram driver was injured and taken to the hospital. It is estimated that he may have had a fainting spell. It is said that he missed the stop before the accident. As is customary in such cases, a blood sample was taken for alcohol and drug testing.

The two-week Winter Olympics took place in Milan last Sunday. Many foreign visitors also used trams.