Two dead as train derails near Milan

Two people were killed and about 30 injured on Thursday when a high-speed train derailed near Milan in northern Italy, authorities said.

The accident occurred near the town of Lodi, about 50 kilometres south of Milan.

Lodi Prefect Marcello Cardona told reporters an investigation was underway into the accident that killed two railworkers.

"There shouldn't be other deaths," Cardona said, adding that injuries sustained were not life-threatening.

The interior minister has been informed and the prosecutor was already at the scene of the accident, the cause of which was unknown, he said.

The Milan-Salerno train was en route to Bologna when it came off the tracks. Video images showed one car flipped on its side that appeared to be still attached to the other car.

According to initial findings reported by the media, the engine went off the rails and struck a freight wagon on a parallel track before hitting a railway building several dozen metres away.