Curinga train disaster
Italian railway accident
The Curinga train disaster, also known as the Lamezia Terme train disaster, was a railway accident occurred on 21 November 1980 between Curinga and Eccellente stations, in the province of Catanzaro, Italy.
Initial body count was estimated in 10 dead and 80 injured, later updated to 20 and 122 respectively. The final count went up to 29 victims and 104 wounded.
Ferrovie dello Stato train 587 was traveling southbound from Rome to Siracusa on the Salerno-Reggio Calabria railway. At 2.40 a.m., shortly after leaving Lamezia Terme station and heading to Paola, rammed into some loaded cars lost by freight train 40679, a 41-cars convoy from the same operator leaving Lamezia Terme for Reggio Calabria.
The freight train had crossed Eccellente station without anyone noticing it lost 28 of its cars and was missing its tail lights, and later stopped at Vibo Pizzo station understanding something went wrong. The boxcars got detached from the convoy at kilometer 266+200, when a clamp broke and set the boxcars free. The runaway cars came to a stop on the tracks.
Train 587 driver tried to brake at the last moment, but the train was traveling at 120 km/h and could not possibly be stopped in less than 1000 meters. Being in a dark night and the runaway cars missing their tail lights (electricity is provided by the engine), the available distance was far too short to stop the passenger train.
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