Two people have died and dozens injured after a Milan tram has derailed in a horror crash.
The incident has resulted in the death of two people, according to Italian media, and 39 people injured, one of whom is in a serious condition, after a tram derailed and smashed into a building in central Milan.
Happening on Viale Vittorio Veneto in the Porta Venezia area of Milan, the Line 9 trams left its tracks at high speed around 4pm local time on Friday.
It has been reported that the tram struck a pedestrian and crashed in front of a Japanese restaurant.
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A major emergency response was launched with 13 ambulances mobilised to the scene as well as three medical cars and specialist coordination vehicles, alongside firefighters and police.
Fire crews rescued passengers from the wreckage, with at least 39 people being taken to various hospitals across the city.
The tram was travelling towards Porta Genova from Piazza della Repubblica in central Milan.
How the accident happened is still under investigation, with the driver also being investigated.
Two people have been killed, Italian media reports, with at least 39 being taken to hospital
|REUTERS
Milan's Mayor Beppe Sala told reporters: "The driver is a very experienced driver and had only been on duty for an hour.
"The strange thing is that shortly beforehand he missed a stop, again for reasons yet to be determined."
The mayor also clarified that the vehicle was travelling at a reasonable speed: "It was arriving at a normal speed."
Milano Today spoke to a bartender at a nearby restaurant, who said: "I heard a huge bang. I thought a truck had overturned."
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An investigation has been triggered following the incident
|REUTERS
Referring to the Japanese restaurant which the tram crashed into, the eyewitness said it had "just opened", they felt "sorry" for the owners, describing them as "good people".
Azienda Trasporti Milanesi (ATM), the municipal public transport company in Milan said in a statement: "ATM is deeply shocked by the serious accident this afternoon on Viale Vittorio Veneto in Milan.
"In this moment of immense grief, the company's thoughts go first and foremost to the family of the person who lost their life and to all those injured. We extend our deepest sympathy to them.
"ATM is already working and at the disposal of the judicial authorities to precisely establish the cause and dynamics of the accident and is making available all information and tools useful for the investigation."
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