Deadly Subway Crash in Rome

ROME, Oct. 17, 2006 — -- A subway crash in the heart of Rome's underground has left at least one person dead and has injured about 60 people, five seriously.

Authorities say two subway trains crashed Tuesday, just as the peak rush hour was ending.

The crash took place at the Piazza Vittorio underground, not far from the city's main train station.

According to police and eyewitnesses, one subway train had stopped at Piazza Vittorio and was unloading passengers when it was struck from behind by another train.

"It was horrific," said Carlo Verna who was traveling on the second to last car on that train. He said the impact was incredible despite the fact the train had slowed down due to construction.

"The impact was very strong. It was very serious. Everyone was thrown to the ground," he said.

Verna said that the metal walls of the train were crushed by the force of the impact and that there was a lot of panic. He said rescuers were on the scene within just a few minutes.

"As the authorities were leading us out, they told us not to look at the damage. They were afraid it would be too much for us to see."

Some of the panic was apparently related to initial fears among some of the passengers that a bomb had exploded. One unidentified witness told reporters: "Inside the carriage people were crying out that a bomb had gone off."

Italian officials have, in the past, urged people to remain vigilant and be on the lookout for suspicious activity in public places.

Like many European countries, Italy believes it could be the target of a terror attack and has conducted emergency response drills in major centers across the country.

Police have ruled out terrorism and sabotage, but investigators are pouring over the scene trying to piece together what happened.

As the shaken passengers emerged onto the street, some talked about how the approaching train, the rear train, had failed to respect a red light. Other passengers said the traffic lights had malfunctioned.

It may be some time, however, before authorities know the exact cause of the accident.