Vatican City, Jul 12, 2016 / 11:02 am
After a head-on train collision killed 20 people in the southern Italian region of Puglia, Pope Francis voiced his grief over the incident and offered prayers for the victims and their families.
"His Holiness Pope Francis expresses his heartfelt and genuine participation in the sorrow striking so many families," Vatican secretary of state Archbishop Pietro Parolin wrote on the Pope's behalf.
"He assures his fervent prayers of repose for those who tragically died and, while invoking the Lord for a swift recovery for the injured, entrusts to the maternal protection of the Virgin Mary the many who are affected by dramatic grief, and sends the comfort of his Apostolic Blessing."
Dozens were injured – some critically – and at least 20 people killed when two trains crashed while apparently traveling towards each other on the same track. The collision happened around 11:30 a.m. local time on Tuesday while the trains were moving through an olive grove between the towns of Corato and Ruvo di Puglia, the New York Times reported.