HORROR IN MILAN: Tram Derails in City Centre, Crashes Into Shop and Leaves Dozens Injured , Two Dead

A busy afternoon in Milan descended into horror on Friday after a tram derailed in the city centre, killing two people and leaving around 40 others injured in scenes of panic and devastation.

The crash unfolded along Vittorio Veneto Street, close to the city’s main railway hub, Central Station, when the tram suddenly left the tracks and ploughed into the window of a nearby shop. Shattered glass, twisted metal and injured passengers were left strewn across the road as stunned bystanders looked on.

The tram involved was reportedly one of the newest models operating in Milan, raising urgent questions about how such a catastrophic failure could occur in a modern fleet. Witnesses described hearing a loud bang before seeing the vehicle lurch violently off the rails.

Emergency services rushed to the scene within minutes. Firefighters, police and paramedics cordoned off the area as 13 ambulances were dispatched to treat the wounded. Civil protection teams erected an emergency tent on the street to provide immediate medical care, while the most seriously injured were rushed to nearby hospitals.

Those hurt in the derailment are understood to include both passengers on board the tram and people on the street at the time of the crash. Several victims were treated for fractures, head injuries and shock, while at least one person was reported to be in critical condition.

The two fatalities have not yet been formally identified, but officials confirmed they died at the scene despite desperate attempts to save them.

Eyewitnesses spoke of chaos and fear as people screamed and scrambled for safety. “It all happened so fast,” one bystander said. “One moment the tram was there, the next it was smashed into the building.”

The city’s transport operator, ATM, said it was “deeply shocked” by the tragedy and expressed its sympathy to the victims and their families. The company confirmed it is fully cooperating with investigators as they work to determine what caused the derailment.

Authorities have launched an investigation into the incident, examining everything from track conditions and signalling systems to the speed of the tram at the time of the crash. Prosecutors are expected to assess whether any safety failures or human error played a role.

Major disruption followed the accident, with tram lines suspended and roads closed across parts of central Milan as recovery crews worked late into the evening to clear the wreckage.

As the city reels from the tragedy, questions are mounting over public transport safety in one of Italy’s busiest urban centres — and how a routine journey through the heart of Milan ended in deadly disaster.