The Tuscan port city was the site of a deadly accident
on June 29, when a freight train carried liquid gas exploded in the railway
station, killing 26 people and severely injuring 12 more. Among the dead were
three children.
The accident occurred around midnight, when a car
carrying liquid gas derailed as the train was moving through the station. It
pulled other carriages with it, and they crashed into nearby buildings. A
puncture in the car leaked the gas into the streets, where it ignited in a
matter of seconds, sweeping the area with fire. An explosion soon followed,
destroying five nearby buildings.
Most of the dead perished immediately, in their homes.
Another 1,000 or so residents fled their homes after the blast.
Of these, about 80 were left homeless. Doctors and nurses reported that many injured
in the blast suffered severe burns and many of the dead were unidentifiable.
‘It was an apocalypse from the human and health standpoint’, said health
director Giancarlo Sassoli. The episode has been described as one of Italy’s worst
train disasters. Rescuers and firefighters spent three days securing the area and
removing the remaining gas.
The station is now open to only limited rail traffic
and the disaster site will remain in a state of emergency until December 31,
according to government officials.
Italian premier Silvio Berlusconi traveled to the
scene the following morning and immediately declared the state of emergency,
promising to cover the cost of rebuilding the homes.
Some 50 million euro is needed to repair the damage
done to the area.
On July 3, the Italian Cabinet declared the scene a
national disaster area. A national day of mourning was observed on July 7. Some
30,000 people attending the funeral for 15 of the victims; the other seven
victims were Moroccan nationals whose bodies were flown home for burial. Two
victims died days later, in the hospital.
Mechanical failures are being investigated, but human
error has been ruled out. The train’s driver, Roberto Fochesato, and his
colleague, Andrea D’Alessandro, who both survived the accident unharmed,
reported that the train was traveling at 90 km per hour-less than the maximum speed of 100 km per hour.
There has been speculation over a rusty axle on one of
the carriages that appears to have strapped. Three separate inquiries are
underway to determine the cause of the accident.
