After Detained, Three Suspects Of Deadly Cable Car Crash In Italy Are Released

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

JAKARTA - Judge Verbania, Italy decided to release three people who had been detained in connection with the Stressa-Mottarone cable car accident last week, one of which was subject to annual housing charges.

A horrific accident occurred in Italy when a cable car killed 14 people, including five Israelis, and a child was seriously injured, fell, and rolled down a steep slope on Sunday afternoon, May 23 local time.

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

After carrying out an investigation, police three men consisting of a cable car company owner, an employee, and a maintenance engineer.

Police arrested the three men on Wednesday last week, after prosecutors in the city of Verbania opened an investigation into suspected murder and unintentional negligence.

Reporting Reuters Sunday, May 29, Judge Donatella Banci Buonamici ruled on Saturday that there was no reason to keep them in prison. The judge said there was no indication of them fleeing and risking the loss of evidence.

Previously, the prosecutor assessed that the three were responsible for the accident. Prosecutors said in the legal filing, the three had purposely installed fork-shaped clamps on the emergency brakes to prevent them from being continuously activated.

"I realized the mistake I made leaving the clamps," one of the suspects Gabriele Tadini told prosecutors, according to a transcript of her interview as quoted by the Corriere della Sera newspaper on Sunday.

Tandini was the operator in charge of running the elevator at the time of the accident. He was also placed under house arrest. His lawyer, Marcello Perillo, said he did not ask for Tandini's release after his confession.

"There is no denying the clamping issue, for which he has to face the consequences," Perillo said, adding it had not been established how far the other two had been informed of Tadini's actions.

"At this time there is no evidence that they are also responsible. They are the ones who should know, but it is not clear if they did."

Separately, Verbania's Chief Prosecutor Olimpia Bossi told reporters the judge had ruled there was insufficient evidence that Luigi Nerini, the owner of the company that operates the lift, and Enrico Perocchio, the engineer in charge of maintenance and safety, was aware of the situation.

"However the investigation continues, we still don't know why the cable broke in the first place," Bossi said.

Leaving Verbania prison on Saturday night, Perocchio told reporters he had no idea that the brakes were supposed to prevent the gondola from falling when the cables were blocked.

"I have 21 years of experience with elevators that use cables, I know it's something you never do," regrets Perocchio.

Nerini's lawyer, Pasquale Pantano, told reporters on Saturday night the release was good news, but the main thing was to find out who was responsible for the disaster.

It is understood the cable car underwent extensive maintenance work in 2014 and 2016. Routine inspections were carried out in 2017 and last year by specialist technicians. Italian media reported that the broken cable would only end its service period and be replaced in 2029.

Meanwhile, the cabin can accommodate up to 40 people. However, at the time of the accident, the cabin was less than half occupied due to coronavirus restrictions. The accident happened after the cable car service opened last month, after a long pause due to the COVID-19 pandemic.