Newly Opened After Lockdown, 14 People Killed In Cable Car Crash In Italy

Cable car accident in Italy. (Source: Alpine Rescue Service)

JAKARTA - A horrific accident occurred in Italy, when a cable car of 14 people was killed, including five Israelis, as well as a seriously injured child, crashed and rolled on a steep slope on Sunday, May 23, local time.

The Stresa-Mottarone cable car takes tourists and locals from the town on Lake Maggiore, almost 1,400 meters above sea level to the top of Mount Mottarone in 20 minutes.

"We are devastated, in pain," Marcella Severino, the mayor of Stresa told broadcaster RAI as reported by Reuters on Monday, May 24. Meanwhile, Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi voiced his condolences to the families of the victims.

"The cable car was traveling up the mountain when its cabin fell about 20 meters to the ground and rolled down a steep slope several times before being stopped by trees," Severino said, holding back the bitterness.

The Israeli Foreign Ministry in its statement announced it had been notified by Italian authorities five of its nationals were among the dead, as well as one Israeli in critical condition.

Severino said people climbing nearby heard loud hisses before the crash, adding the crash was believed to have been caused by one of the broken wires.

"Some of the victims were found trapped inside the cable car and others were thrown into the woods. Meanwhile, the coroner began to identify the victims, including foreign nationals," he continued without giving further details.

The Stresa-Mottarone cable car service recently reopened after the gradual lifting of coronavirus restrictions.

'It's a terrible moment for me and for our community and I think also for the whole of Italy. Especially now we are just starting to start over (after the pandemic)," said Severino.

"Important maintenance work, including replacing cables, has been carried out in recent years. All of this is unbelievable," he added.

Italy's Alpine rescue service said the first call came just after midday, adding the cable car was badly damaged in the forest and two children were taken by helicopter to a children's hospital near the city of Turin.

"The older of the two, believed to be between 9 and 10 years old, died after suffering two heart attacks," the hospital said.

Separately, Director-General Giovanni La Valle said the hospital had no personal data for the two children and no one contacted the hospital for them, indicating that other family members may have been involved in the accident.

"The younger child, estimated to be 5 years old, was conscious on arrival and was undergoing surgery related to some of the fractures he sustained," La Valle said.

For the record, Mottarone Peak is popular with tourists, due to its panoramic views of Lake Maggiore and its beautiful islands, as well as the views of the surrounding Alps.

Meanwhile, the cable car service first opened in August 1970 after nearly three years of work to replace the gear train, its website says.

The dual cable system is divided into two parts, just over two kilometers between Stresa and Alpino and the other three kilometers between Alpino and Mottarone. The service consists of two trains for two directions, each carrying up to 40 passengers.