Italy Train Crash Death Toll Rises to 22

A train carrying gas tanks jumped the tracks and exploded near houses which were engulfed in flames. Photo by BGNES

Twenty-two people are now known to have died after a train exploded as it passed through an Italian town on Monday night.

The death toll rose on Friday after two women and a young man died of their injuries, the BBC reported.

At least another 10 people remain in a serious condition after the accident in the northern town of Viareggio, officials said.

Many victims of the explosion have yet to be identified because they suffered such severe burns.

A train carrying gas tanks jumped the tracks and exploded near houses which were engulfed in flames.

Investigators are trying to determine whether a broken axle may have been responsible for the accident.

The blast caused two buildings - described as houses or small blocks of flats - to collapse while others were set on fire.