ROME, June 30 (RIA Novosti) - The death toll in a gas explosion at a railroad station in northern Italy has risen to 16 people, a local health official said on Tuesday.

Earlier reports said at least 13 were killed and 50 injured in a powerful explosion that occurred at midnight in the town of Viareggio when a 14-carriage freight train carrying liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) derailed and two carriages exploded.

Giancarlo Sassoli said 36 people had been wounded in the explosion, and 14 of them were in a critical condition.

Among the dead is a four-year-old girl, who died in hospital in Rome, where she had been taken by helicopter after the accident. The child, who received numerous burns, died after being operated on.

The blast caused a fireball which engulfed nearby homes, destroying at least two houses. The area has been evacuated, ANSA reported earlier.