At least eleven dead, dozens injured in Puglia train crash

The incident happened near the regional capital of Bari on a stretch of track between the towns of Ruvo di Puglia e Corato on the Bari north line, Italian news agency Ansa reported.

The incident involved two trains which were both four carriages long. The victims were reported to have been travelling in the front two carriages of each train.

“I think there are a lot of people dead,” Riccardo Zingaro, a local police officer on the scene, told Ansa.

The front two carriages of each train sustained heavy damage in the collision and people are still being pulled from the wreckage.

In one carriage, rescue workers found a young child who has been taken to hospital via helicopter.

The trains were carrying many commuters and university students, according to La Repubblica.

Speaking to the press in Milan, Prime Minister Matteo Renzi expressed his grief for the victims of the disaster.

“We won't rest until we understand how this happened,” he added, aouncing he would retu to Rome to deal with the incident.

Puglia President Michele Emiliano tweeted that he was on his way to the scene of the crash.