Milan tram crash leaves two dead, 39 injured

Two people have died and 39 others were injured after a tram derailed and crashed into a building in Milan on Friday, police said.

One of the victims was struck by the tram as it came off the tracks, while the second was a passenger on board, Milan’s mayor Giuseppe Sala said at the scene, AFP reports.

He confirmed that one of the dead was an Italian man in his 60s and the other an immigrant who lived in the city.

Passengers were wrapped in emergency blankets by firefighters as ambulances rushed the more seriously injured to hospital.

Witnesses told local media the tram had been travelling at speed before smashing into a tree and then crashing through the window of a restaurant.

The crash happened just days after Milan finished hosting the 2026 Winter Olympics. The city is now preparing for the Paralympics and is in the middle of Milan Fashion Week.

An initial investigation suggests the driver may have failed to activate a track switch and had also passed the final stop on the line before the derailment, Sala said.

"It doesn’t look like it was a technical issue, but was connected to the driver," he added, noting that the tram was new and the driver was considered experienced.

His shift had reportedly begun only an hour before the accident. The driver was taken to hospital but did not suffer serious injuries.

Lead prosecutor Marcello Viola described the impact between the tram and the building as 'devastating'.

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni expressed her 'deepest condolences' to the victims' families, while Transport Minister Matteo Salvini said he was 'grieved' and called for answers over what led to the deadly crash.