Train Derails After Crashing Into Truck In Italy, Kills 2 [Photos, Video]

A train crashed into a truck outside Turin, Italy, on Wednesday, killing two and injuring 18 others.

The incident occurred around 11:20 p.m. local time (5:20 p.m. EDT) when a regional passenger train collided with a huge rig-truck that had stopped on rail tracks, near the town of Coluso, Italy. The train was traveling from Turin to Ivrea, Italy, and was 50 minutes into the journey when the accident took place.

The engineer of the train was among the two who died. A critically injured crash victim, who was airlifted to a nearby hospital, also died later at the facility, the Telegraph reported. The driver of the train managed to survive unscathed.

Pictures and videos of the scene of the accident show several firefighters working tirelessly to ensure no one else was trapped under the wreckage.

Among the 18 who survived with minor injuries, was a staff member of the train. Others were passengers travelling in the train at the time. Three of the passenger cars were derailed from impact. It is unclear as to how many passengers the train was carrying at the time.

Some of the passengers described the horrifying experience of surviving a train crash. Paolo Malgioglio, 23, who was onboard the train when it crashed, said she saw a woman crouching in the corner of one of the passenger car’s which had been impacted and calling out for help. The woman had difficulty breathing and said she could not feel her legs, asking Malgioglio to hold her hand and pull her free.

"I tried to pull the door open but it was stuck," said Malgioglio. "I really don’t know how I made it out like this. I really don’t."

Another unidentified passenger said she felt as if she was being pushed from behind, after which she fell and broke her legs. She added she was sure she was going to die during the terrifying experience.

The railway barrier that was supposed to stop the truck from reaching the tracks minutes before the train was scheduled to pass through, was deployed, the Tirano railway station officials said, adding that for reasons not known, the truck smashed through the barrier and ended up on the tracks.

The rig truck carrying Lithuania license plates, was headed to a warehouse nearby. It is not immediately known what type of cargo the truck was carrying at the time.