Hundreds of people on Monday joined
the relatives of the five rail maintenance workers killed in an
accident at Brandizzo station near Turin last week in a
procession in Vercelli.
The procession was organized by the Cgil, Cisl and Uil trade
unions to mourn the victims and demand better safety in the
workplace.
The five workers' relatives carried photos of their loved-ones
who were hit and killed by a passing train on the Milan-Turin
line late on Wednesday while working on the track.
"We have no more words," read one banner.
"These aren't accidents, they are homicides," said another.
The two survivors of the accident, the foreman of the team of
workers employed by a contractor and the Italian rail company
RFI employee responsible for the worksite, have been put under
investigation.
Investigators are trying to work out why work was allowed to
begin before there was confirmation that traffic on the line had
been halted.
Sources say investigators believe work started even though the
RFI employee was denied the all-clear for it to begin in three
phone calls with network officials.
Deputy Premier and Transport and Infrastructure Minister Matteo
Salvini said Sunday that the disaster stemmed from an
"unacceptable" and "dramatic mistake".
"'The procedure is there," Salvini said.
"You can't go to work on a track if there is no notification
that no more vehicles are passing".
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