High-speed train derails in Rome, no serious injuries

Rome, June 4 (IANS) A high-speed train connecting Italy's northern city of Turin and the southern port city of Naples had an accident in a tunnel in Rome on Friday afternoon, local police has said.

The last car of a train that carried about 250 passengers derailed while approaching Roma Termini, the city's main railway station. There were no serious injuries, and police said the passengers were evacuated and offered alternative transportation without major incidents, Xinhua news agency reported, citing news reports.

Police did not say what caused the accident. The high-speed rail line was temporarily closed pending further investigation.

The accident took place around 2 p.m. local time.

Trenitalia, the country's primary rail operator, called the event a "technical inconvenience."

The Serenissima Tunnel, where the accident occurred, is located on the eastern side of Rome.

In a separate incident, a head-on collision between a heavy truck and a food van near Strevi in northern Italy left five people dead and two others seriously injured on Friday.