The Latest: Pope’s condolences to families of crash victims

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MILAN — The Latest on the train crash in Italy (all times local):

7:55 p.m.

Pope Francis is sending his condolences to the families of the victims of the head-on train crash in Italy’s southern Puglia region.

Francis sent a telegram to the archbishop of Bari, Monsignor Fracnesco Cacucci, saying he shared in the pain of so many families. He said he was mourning those who died and praying for the injured to recover quickly.

At least 22 people died when the two commuter trains slammed into one another head-on on a single track near the town of Andria northwest of Bari. Dozens more were injured.

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7 p.m.

A railway police official says the death toll in the head-on train crash in southern Italy is at 22.

Commander Giancarlo Conticchio told Sky TG24 said the number of injured is 43, and that there could still be changes in the final toll.

He said, “surely one of the two trains shouldn’t have been there. And surely there was an error. We need to determine the cause of the error.”

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2:45 p.m.

A local official says the death toll in the head-on train crash in southern Italy is at 20.

An official identified by Sky TG24 as the president of the province of Andria said that rescue operations were continuing.

The official said a boy, about 7, was injured, but not in danger of dying.

He appealed for blood donations and said: “There could still be someone in the wreckage.”

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2:20 p.m.

The mayor of Corato, site of the head-on train crash in Italy’s southern Puglia region, says the scene is horrific but that rescue work is ongoing with firefighters, civil protection officials and volunteers.

Mayor Massimo Mazzilli told Sky TG25 that rescue workers had just pulled out a passenger alive and were poised to extract a second one.

On his Facebook page, Mazzilli posted photos of the mangled steel trains that collided Tuesday.

He wrote: “It’s as disaster, as if an airplane fell. Rescue workers and civil protection is on the scene, but unfortunately there are victims!”

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1:50 p.m.

The two trains that crashed head-on in Italy’s southern Puglia region belong to a local private rail company, Ferrotramviaria SpA.

Italy’s national rail service, Ferrovia dello Stato, identified the company in a statement Tuesday, offering its condolences and support services.

Ferrotramviaria is a Bari-based private train company that connects the capital of Puglia with regional towns to the north and the airport, operating about 20 small electric trains. It was founded in 1937 and serves students and commuters.

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1 p.m.

Firefighters in southern Italy say at least a dozen people have been killed when two trains collided head-on in Puglia.

The trains, each with four cars, collided near the town of Andria on a line with just a single track, according to news agency ANSA and Sky TG24.

A photo of the crash showed cars crumpled together and forced off the tracks at sharp angles. News reports said rescue workers were pulling victims from the rubble, including a small child who was alive. Video images showed ambulances responding to the scene with other rescue workers.

National police and Carabinieri couldn’t immediately give details about the extent of the crash, saying they were in the middle of responding.

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12:50 p.m.

Italy’s prime minister says the train crash “is a moment of tears” and has pledged not to stop until a cause is determined.

Matteo Renzi was speaking in Milan after the head-on collision in the southern region of Puglia on Tuesday morning. At least a dozen people were killed and dozens of others injured.

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12:45 p.m.

Italian news reports say that two trains have collided head-on in the southern region of Puglia, killing at least four people and injuring dozens of others.

The trains collided near the town of Andria, according to news agency ANSA and Sky TG24.

ANSA reported that at least four people had died, while Sky TG24 reported 10 dead.

National police and Carabinieri couldn’t immediately give details about the extent of the crash, saying they were in the middle of responding.

ANSA said ambulances and fire trucks were reaching the scene.

The Associated Press

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