Italy cable car accident: At least 14 dead near Lake Maggiore including one child

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Firefighters release footage from the scene of Italy cable car crash

At least 14 people, including one child, have died after a cable car fell to the ground on a mountainside in the north of Italy, emergency responders have said.

The Italian government launched an investigation to determine the causes of the crash on the Stresa-Mottarone line in the Piedmont region.

A second child, thought to be around five years old, remains in hospital after the incident near the summit of the Stresa-Mottarone line in the Piedmont region, Italy’s Alpine rescue service said.

Walter Milan, a spokesman for the service, told Italian media it was a “very serious accident” with the car falling from a considerable height to the woods below.

Mr Milan said that 15 people had been travelling in the cable car at the time of the accident.

Several foreign nationals, including three Israelis and an Iran-born man, were killed along with Italian citizens in the cable car crash, according to local media reports.

Local police told Italy’s Adnkronos news agency the cab fell after a supporting cable on the line snapped.

Italy’s infrastructure minister, Enrico Giovannini, followed the rescue effort, which involved three helicopters, fire crews, police and mountain rescue services.

“We are trying to understand what has happened, but it is a truly terrible tragedy,” the minister said in a statement.

Key Points

• At least 14 dead in crash on Italian mountainside
• One child killed, another remains in hospital
• Italian prime minister sends condolences
• Cable line renovated in 2016, with checks as recently as 2020

[23 May 2021 16:17 · Liam James]

Where did crash take place?

The cable car crashed about 100m before the final pylon on the line up to Mottarone from Stresa, according to the Italian Alpine Rescue Service. The cable runs particularly high above ground level at this point, with woodland terrain below.

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[23 May 2021 16:23 · Liam James]

Rescue service: At least 13 dead

At least 13 people have died in the crash, emergency responders are now saying.

Italy’s Alpine Rescue Service also said the two children airlifted to hospital suffered serious injuries.

[23 May 2021 16:40 · Liam James]

Latest photos from crash site

Emergency responders have released more photographs from the crash site. Fire fighters can be seen sorting through the wreckage, Reuters has also released a photo showing what appears to be an Italian air ambulance above the site.

(Vigili del Fuoco/AFP/Getty)

(Reuters)

(Carabinieri via Getty)

[23 May 2021 17:23 · Matt Mathers]

Italian President Sergio Mattarella sends best wishes

Italian President Sergio Mattarella has sent his best wishes to those affected by today’s cable car accident.

“The tragic accident at the #funivia Stresa-Mottarone arouses deep pain for the victims and great apprehension for those who are struggling for life in these hours,” his office said in a tweet.

“I express the participation of all of Italy to the affected families and communities in mourning.”

[23 May 2021 17:59 · Matt Mathers]

What we know about the disaster so far

• A cable car fell near the summit of Stresa-Mottarone line in the Piedmont region
• 15 people had been travelling in the car when it crashed
• 13 people have been killed
• 3 people have been taken to hospital
• Helicopters, fire crews, police and mountain rescue services attended
• The lift takes those on it around 4,500ft above sea level in around 20 mins
• It had recently reopened following the easing of lockdown restrictions
• Italy’s transport minister, Enrico Giovannini, said the line had been renovated as recently as 2016

[23 May 2021 18:28 · Liam James]

Local mayor gives account of crash

Marcella Severino, the mayor of Stresa, has given an account of what happened in the crash to local media.

Ms Severino said it appeared that a cable broke, sending the car spinning until it hit a pylon and fell to the ground.

The car then overturned “two or three times before hitting some trees”, she said. Some of those who died were thrown from the cabin.

“It was a terrible, terrible scene,” Ms Severino told SkyTG24.

[23 May 2021 19:04 · Liam James]

Child dies in hospital after crash

One of the children injured in the crash has now died, the Italian Alpine Rescue Service announced.

The child had been airlifted to the Regina Margherita hospital in Turin, along with the other injured child.

The total number of people killed in the crash now stands at 14.

[23 May 2021 19:36 · Liam James]

Italy cable car crash leaves 14 people dead near Lake Maggiore

Our full account of the crash can be found at the link below. Details have been updated since the story was first published earlier:

[23 May 2021 20:05 · Liam James]

Foreign nationals among cable car crash dead

Several foreign nationals were killed along with Italian citizens in the cable car crash, according to local media reports.

Three Israelis, an Iran-born man and seven Italians have been confirmed among the 14 dead so far, Italian news agency Adnkronos said.

[23 May 2021 20:25 · Liam James]

Italian government launches investigation

The Italian government has launched an investigation into the causes of the cable car crash in the Piedmont region.

An inspection commission has been tasked with “identifying the technical and organisational causes” of the incident, Italy’s Ministry of Sustainable Infrastructures and Mobility said.

Professor Gabriele Malavasi, from the Department of Civil, Building and Environmental Engineering at the University of Rome, will present the findings of the investigation to Enrico Giovannini, who heads the ministry.