CABLE CAR CRASH IN ITALY, FOUR DEAD
Four tourists have been confirmed dead after a cable car crash took place just south of the Italian town of Naples.
The Mount Faito mountain cable car plunged to the ground after one of the cables supporting the car snapped.
It’s been reported that two Britons and two Israelis were killed. But these reports haven’t been confirmed, and local reports suggested that the victims were three passengers and the driver of the cable car.
One person was “extremely seriously injured” during the crash and airlifted to a nearby hospital for treatment.
The mayor of the town of Castellammare di Stabia, where the cable car is located, said an investigation has been launched, and so far it seems as if a traction cable had snapped.
The cable car line was only opened 10 days ago for the annual tourist season, but the mayor confirmed that there have been regular safety checks on the cable car line.
The line runs three kilometres from the town to the top of the mountain, which is located 1,100 metres above sea level.
“The emergency brake downstream worked, but clearly not the one on the cabin that was about to reach the top of the hill,” the mayor said.
The region’s president, Vincenzo De Luca, said poor weather conditions like fog, rain and wind had made it difficult for rescuers to get to the location where the cable car had crashed. The area where the crash took place is also very steep, making it that much more difficult to access.
Image credit: BBC