A tram derailed in the northern Italian city of Milan, leaving at least one person dead and 39 others injured, some seriously.

The crowded tram was traveling on line 9 along Milan's Viale Vittorio Veneto at around 16:00 local time (15:00 GMT) when it left the track and crashed into a building.

The deceased is believed to have been a pedestrian struck by the tram, while most of the injured were passengers. Numerous ambulances are at the scene, with reports of people trapped in the wreckage.

Passengers described hearing a noise under the tram before it veered off the track, gained speed, and smashed into the side of a building.

"I thought it was an earthquake. I was sitting down and I fell on the floor, along with the other passengers," one man told Ansa news agency. "It was terrible."

After derailing, the tram reportedly hit a traffic light first, then shattered a restaurant window. According to La Repubblica website, a delivery rider waiting at the traffic light and a young man on the pavement narrowly escaped injury.

Civil protection teams have set up a tent at the scene to assist the injured.

The cause of the derailment is unclear, though media reports suggested the tram took a sharp corner too quickly as it turned out of Viale Vittorio Veneto.

Milan Mayor Giuseppe Sala and other city officials have arrived at the crash site.

Transport company ATM stated it was "deeply shaken" by the incident and expressed condolences to the victims and their families.

The incident occurred as the city is packed with international visitors, celebrities, and journalists for Milan Fashion Week.

According to Corriere della Sera, the three-car tram is a new bidirectional type with driver cabs at both ends, introduced in the city only a few weeks ago.

Source: www.bbc.com