- A cable failure has send a cable car falling near a mountain peak
- The disaster occurred after a cable snapped, preliminary reports indicate
- The car appears to be “completely crumpled” and almost “destroyed,” indicating that the impact “was obviously significant.”
According to Italian police and emergency services , major accident happened today in the Italian Alps on the cableway line which connects the commune of Stresa near Lake Maggiore in northern Italy with the top of Mount Mottarone.
A cable failure has send a cable car falling near a mountain peak, leaving at least 13 people dead. Two children who were injured in the fall were airlifted from the crash site to a hospital in Turin.
A car fell near a pylon in one of the highest points of the cableway close to the summit. The disaster occurred after a cable snapped, preliminary reports indicate.
The cable car fell from a “relatively high point,” an alpine rescue service spokesman, Walter Milan, told Italy’s Rai News broadcaster, adding that it appears to be “completely crumpled” and almost “destroyed,” indicating that the impact “was obviously significant.”
CNSAS, the Italian alpine rescue service, confirmed that 13 people were killed in the crash, adding that this figure could “unfortunately” rise even further. They also said two air ambulances were among the vehicles dispatched to the site of the incident.
The place where the tragedy happened is a popular tourist destination during both summer and winter. The cableway started operating in the 1960s and underwent an upgrade several years ago, restarting after a pause in 2016. The cable car can accommodate up to 40 passengers.