Three people have been killed and more than 20 injured after a tram derailed in the centre of Milan, before slamming into a building.
The Number 9 tram was supposed to have continued straight along the central Vittorio Veneto avenue, but it suddenly swerved at a switch track that is used by another tram line, according to a video of the crash broadcast by Sky TG24.
The video shows the tram nearly flipping onto its side as it takes the curve before crashing.
The derailed tram smashed into a building in Milan. Pic AP
Milan mayor Beppe Sala suggested human error was to blame, saying the driver had apparently failed to switch tracks to keep the tram going straight.
He described the driver as an experienced employee who had only been on his shift for an hour.
However, he said the driver had skipped a stop before the crash and would be questioned from the hospital where he was being treated for his injuries.
Emergency services said three people had been killed. Mr Sala confirmed that among the victims, one passenger had died on the tram and one on the street.
He said none of the other injured were in a life-threatening condition.
Dozens of ambulances, fire engines and police cars responded to the crash, with crews escorting passengers in thermal blankets away from the scene.
Pic: Reuters
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ATM, the Milan public transport company, said it was cooperating with prosecutors “to precisely establish the cause and dynamic of the incident”.
The incident came as the city is hosting its seasonal fashion shows and is in the interim between hosting the Winter Olympics and Paralympic Games.
