13 die in railway gas explosion.

A RAILWAY wagon filled with liquefied natural gas exploded when a freight train derailed in the middle of a small Italian town, setting off an inferno that killed at least 13 people and injured 50 others, officials said today.

The rear of the train careered into a residential neighbourhood near the railway station in the

Tuscan seaside town of Viareggio, and the resulting explosion caused at least two buildings to collapse and set fire to a large area.

Seven people, including a child, were killed at home by the collapses or the fire, said police spokesman Raffaele Gargiulo.

Two drivers who were on the road alongside the tracks when the train derailed were also killed.

The tenth victim, a young man, died in hospital, Mr Gargiulo said.

"The condition of the bodies is such that it will be very difficult to identify them," he said.

Prefect Carmelo Aronica told Italy's Rai state TV that at least 50 people were injured, 35 of whom were in hospital with severe burns. The Ansa news agency reported that three children were pulled alive from the rubble of their collapsed home shortly before daybreak today.

The 14-carriage train carrying the liquefied gas was travelling from the northern city of La Spezia to Pisa. The train derailed just before midnight yesterday..

CAPTION(S):

Rescuers and police walk amidst the rubble of damaged houses in Viareggio after a freight train exploded.