VIAREGGIO, Italy (AFP) — Two children injured in the explosion when a train ferrying liquid petroleum gas derailed in an Italian town died Wednesday, bringing the death toll to 16, rescue workers said.
Both had suffered burns on more than 90 percent of their body in the giant fireball created by the explosion, in the Italian seaside resort of Viareggio, northwest of Pisa.
Another 34 people were still being treated for injuries, 12 of whom were in a critical condition, said civil protection officers.
Fire crews worked overnight to clear the remaining train wagons of their volatile cargo. By Wednesday morning six of the 13 remaining wagons of gas had been safely unloaded, fire services said.
But some 300 local residents were kept away from their homes as a safety precaution, local officials said.
The force of the blast, which happened late on Monday night, brought down two small blocks of flats, where many of the victims lived. Others were simply passers-by caught up in the explosion.
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