41 years have passed since what is remembered as the “Christmas massacre” of the Rapido 904, a terrorist act that left an indelible mark on Italian history.
Retracing what happened, the attack took place on December 23, 1984. A day not chosen by chance given that the Rapido 904 train traveling from Naples to Milan was crowded with travelers heading home or visiting relatives for the Christmas holidays.
The convoy was hit by a violent explosion at 7.08pm. The explosion occurred in the tunnel of the Grande Galleria dell’Appennino, about 8 kilometers inside, in the Vernio area. The detonation was caused by a radio-controlled explosive charge, placed on a luggage rack of the 9th class II carriage, in the center of the convoy.
A replica of the attack on the Italicus train
The bomb had been placed during the stop at the Florence Santa Maria Novella station. The attack was orchestrated with the aim of causing the maximum possible number of victims, taking advantage of the occasion of the Christmas holidays and the power of the explosive placed specifically in a tunnel to maximize the effect of the detonation.
The bomb, programmed to explode under the tunnel, was synchronized with the transit of another train on the opposite track. Only the timely action of the driver, who promptly blocked the line, avoided an even more devastating massacre.
The result was still tragic, with 16 people trapped in the tunnel and hundreds injured, some with serious long-term consequences. Responsibility for the act was attributed to the Sicilian Mafia, Cosa Nostra, which plotted a horrendous replica of the neo-fascist terrorist attack in 1974 against the Italicus train.
Four decades later, the memory of that day remains alive. Ceremonies and commemorations not only pay homage to the victims, but remind us of the importance of fighting terrorism in all its forms with determination. The “Christmas massacre” of the Rapido 904 is a warning to never let our guard down, so that the sacrifice of those lives was not in vain and the pain of that Christmas is never repeated again.
You might also be interested in:
