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The second degree trial for the train disaster of 12 July 2016 on the Andria-Corato route began this morning in the Court of Appeal in Bari. The head-on collision occurred between two trains traveling on a single alternate track regulated by the telephone block system, and which the prosecution deemed “unsafe and obsolete”. The accident caused the death of 23 people and 51 injuries.
At first instance, in Trani, on 15 June 2023, the Court sentenced the station master of Andria Vito Piccarreta to 6 years and 6 months, the engineer of the train which left Andria and headed for Corato, Nicola Lorizzo (7 years), acquitting 14 others accused and also excluding the civil liability of Ferrotramviaria, accused of administrative offence. Piccarreta and Lorizzo were convicted of cooperation in a train disaster, murder and negligent bodily harm aggravated by failure to comply with workplace safety regulations.
In today’s hearing, the Attorney General asked the Court to listen to 38 witnesses, including defense witnesses already heard at first instance, judicial police officials and officials of the Puglia Region, as well as technical consultants for the prosecution and defense. The deputy prosecutor denounced the “rudimentary, based only on telephone communication” management of the train circulation system on that route. The Court will decide on the preliminary requests at the next hearing on 12 September.
