Train derailed in Sicily

An express train from Palermo derailed in north-eastern Sicily tonight, killing at least one person and injuring more than 30 others, news reports said.

The accident occurred on a bridge, and several carriages ended up in a river bank, the ANSA news agency reported. The cause of the crash was not immediately known.

The crash happened when the train was nearing the Rometta Marea station, about 20 miles from Messina. The area is far from major roads, and was proving difficult for rescue teams to reach, ANSA said.

Police said the crash may have been caused by the collapse of an old bridge or by a rail-line switching problem.

Further details were not immediately available.