A bustling afternoon in Milan turned into a scene of shock and devastation on Friday when a tram running through the city’s centre came off its rails, crashed into a shop window and left several people dead or wounded as bystanders and passengers watched in disbelief.
The accident took place on Vittorio Veneto Street, one of the main thoroughfares in northern Italy’s financial and cultural hub, close to the city’s central train station. According to firefighters and witnesses at the scene, the tram was travelling along its established route when it suddenly veered off track and collided with the facade of a building before coming to rest amid shattered glass and twisted metal.
Local authorities have since confirmed that two people lost their lives in the crash and roughly 40 others were injured, many of them seriously. Emergency responders, including paramedics, firefighters and civil protection teams, descended on the location within minutes, tending to the wounded and organising transport to nearby hospitals. In total, more than a dozen ambulances were seen ferrying the injured away from the chaotic site.
Among the victims were both passengers aboard the tram and a pedestrian on the street. At least one of those injured was reported to be in critical condition, while others suffered a range of serious and moderate injuries. Officials have been careful to emphasise that these figures are preliminary and could change as investigations and hospital assessments continue.
Witnesses described the moment of the derailment in stark terms. A passing commuter told local media that they heard a loud bang and felt the ground shake as the tram lurched off the track and collided with the building. “It was like an earthquake,” one bystander said, recounting how passengers were thrown from their seats and glass rained down on the street.
City officials arrived quickly at the scene. Among them was Mayor Beppe Sala, who expressed deep sorrow over the loss of life and pledged that the city would do everything possible to support victims and their families. In a brief statement, the Milan transport authority ATM said it was “deeply shocked” by the accident and would cooperate fully with judicial authorities as they work to uncover what went wrong.
At the time of the incident, Milan was in the midst of its celebrated Fashion Week, drawing crowds of visitors from around the world. The city had also recently hosted the Winter Olympics and was preparing for the impending Paralympic Games, making the collision a jarring event amidst what should be a period of celebration and global attention.
Investigators have not yet determined the exact cause of the derailment, and officials stress that it would be premature to speculate. However, early local media accounts and witness reports suggest that the tram may have been travelling at high speed and taken a curve too sharply, potentially causing it to leave the tracks. Some reports also reference the possibility of issues with signalling or track alignment, though these theories remain unconfirmed.
The No. 9 tram line on which the accident occurred is a key route through Milan’s transport network, relied upon by commuters and tourists alike. It serves numerous neighbourhoods and converges close to major rail hubs, making it one of the city’s busiest lines. The derailment — and the scene of broken glass and twisted metal on one of its most central arteries — was an unsettling sight for the thousands of residents who witnessed it firsthand.
In response to the crash, civil protection units set up emergency tents near the scene to provide immediate aid before victims could be moved to hospitals. Firefighters worked alongside medical teams to free those trapped beneath debris and provide urgent care. Eyewitnesses noted that amidst the chaos, there were numerous acts of bravery and community support as local residents and tram riders helped tend to the injured before first responders arrived.
As Milan begins the process of healing, questions loom over how the tram could have derailed so violently in the centre of a city renowned for its robust public transport. Authorities have pledged transparency in the investigation, and many residents await answers with a mix of sorrow and frustration. The coming days are sure to bring further details and a clearer understanding of the causes behind one of the most dramatic transport accidents Italy’s financial capital has seen in recent years.
