Carnate in Italy: A police officer is investigating the scene of the accident on the derailed train
Photo: Claudio Furlan / dpaA regional train traveled several kilometers in northern Italy without personnel and, according to the railway company, derailed with only one passenger on board. The passenger suffered bruises in the accident on Wednesday afternoon near the Carnate-Usmate station, around 30 kilometers north of Milan, the authorities said.
"For reasons still to be determined, train 10776 left Paderno station without staff on board (driver and conductor)," wrote the Lombardy Trenord railway company. The security systems were put into operation immediately to stop the runaway train. He was directed to a platform in Carnate station. According to the media, it was a dead end.
The daily newspaper "La Repubblica" wrote that the driver and the conductor had alighted in Paderno d'Adda to take a break, which a Trenord spokeswoman did not confirm. Other media reported that both suffered minor injuries when trying to chase the train. The station has a gradient.
Trenord announced an internal investigation into the incident. The Monza public prosecutor launched an investigation into suspected culpability of a train disaster, as the Ansa news agency wrote.
Authorities and the railway company had initially spoken of three people on the train at noon, and the staff was also on board. Pictures from Carnate showed that several cars had jumped off the tracks. A part of the train had stood sideways.
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