Mountaintop cable car kills 13 passengers as it plunges to the ground in northern Italy
Death toll rises to 13 and children aged nine and five fight for their lives in hospital after cable car plunges to the ground 980 feet from top of mountain in northern Italy
- Cable car fell near the top of Stresa-Mottarone line in Piedmont – a popular tourist area in Northern Italy
- Alpine rescue service said another three people have been taken to hospital, including two young children
- Italy’s transport minister Enrico Giovannini described it as ‘terrible tragedy’ and he was in touch with rescuers
Thirteen people have died and two children have been seriously injured after a horror accident in which a mountaintop cable car plunged to the ground in the Italian Alps.
The cable car, which reopened only a month ago following a Covid lockdown, was carrying 15 people to the top of the Stresa-Mottarone line in the Piedmont region earlier today.
It is believed the lift, which takes around 20 minutes to travel from the lakeside town of Stresa to the 4,900ft high mountain station, was about 1,000ft from its destination when it plunged to the ground.
Following a complicated search operation, the Italian National Alpine rescue service said the ‘final toll of the tragic accident’ was 13 dead and two injured. The children, aged five and nine, were ‘code red’ when they were airlifted to a hospital in Turin following the shock tragedy.
Today Italy’s transport minister Enrico Giovannini described the incident as a ‘terrible tragedy’.
He said: ‘I have already spoken with the prefect and the director of the Fire Brigade and Civil Protection. We are trying to understand what has happened, but it is a truly terrible tragedy.’
At least 12 people have died and two children have been seriously injured after a horror accident in which a mountaintop cable car plunged to the ground in northern Italy
It is believed the cable car, which takes around 20 minutes to reach the 5,000ft high mountain station, was about 1,000ft from its destination when it plunged to the ground
No details of ages of nationalities have yet been released by authorities in Italy, though both injured children are believed to be younger than 10. Pictured: Rescuers at the scene
A photo taken and obtained on May 23, 2021 from Italian News agency Ansa shows a cable car that crashed to the ground in the resort town of Stresa on the shores of Lake Maggiore in the Piedmont region
Italy’s Alpine rescue service today said that, along with the 12 dead, three people have been airlifted to Turin hospital. It is believed of the three injured, two are children, according to local officials
The cable car is thought to have come off while taking passengers to the top of the Stresa-Mottarone line in the Piedmont region earlier today
The accident may have been caused by a broken cable at the top of the system, according to ANSA news agency.
‘It is a very serious accident,’ Walter Milan, a spokesman for the national alpine rescue service told RaiNews24 television.
The rescue call arrived just after midday and the cable car had fallen from very high and was now sitting, ‘crumpled’ in the woods below, Milan added.
He noted that the cable line had been renovated in 2016 and had only recently reopened after coronavirus lockdowns forced the closures of ski lifts across Italy.
One person who saw the crash told MailOnline: ‘It was a very steep drop, so the cable car tumbled for a while before stopping against some trees.
‘The police (and others) are at the scene of the incident and are trying to identify the people. It is a devastating morning for all of us.’
Today Italy’s transport minister Enrico Giovannini described the incident as a ‘terrible tragedy’. He said he was in touch with rescue teams at the scene (pictured)
The accident may have been caused by a broken cable at the top of the system, according to ANSA news agency. It is believed as many as 15 people were in the cable car at the time
The rescue call arrived just after midday and the cable car had fallen from very high and was now sitting, ‘crumpled’ in the woods below, Milan added
According to newspaper Corriere Della Serra, two children have been taken by air ambulance to hospital in Turin. The youngest child, a boy, suffered head trauma, thoracoabdominal trauma and lower limb fractures but is still conscious, according to Sky Italia
The Italian Firefighters ‘Vigili del Fuoco’ shows rescuers by a cable car that crashed to the ground in the resort town of Stresa on the shores of Lake Maggiore in the Piedmont region
Milan noted that the cable line had been renovated in 2016 and had only recently reopened after coronavirus lockdowns forced the closures of ski lifts across Italy
‘It is a very serious accident,’ Walter Milan, a spokesman for the national alpine rescue service told RaiNews24 television. Pictured: A library image of the Lago Maggiore cable car
The cable car connects Stresa with Mottarone. Pictured: A general view of the Mottarone cable car station, in northern Italy
According to newspaper Corriere Della Serra, two children have been taken by air ambulance to hospital in Turin.
The youngest child, a boy, suffered head trauma, thoracoabdominal trauma and lower limb fractures but is still conscious, according to Sky Italia.
Meanwhile Corriere Della Serra said that rescue efforts have been made more difficult by the fact that the cabin fell into a wood in an inaccessible area.
The Italian fire service, emergency crews are currently working at the area.
They Tweeted: ‘A cabin of the cable car connecting Stresa-Alpino-Mottarone fell. There are people dead, the toll is provisional.
‘Teams #vigilidelfuoco at work. On the spot the helicopter of the Varese flight department’.
The national alpine rescue service said on Twitter: ‘Serious accident on the Stresa-Mottarone cable car.
‘Alpine rescue, and other rescue teams on site. Two helicopter ambulances intervened.’
The incident comes 20 years after 40 tourists had to be rescued after a cable car got stuck on the line in 2001.
The tourists had to be rescued after the cable car stopped shortly after leaving the terminal in Stresa.
The Mottarone cable car was opened in 1970. It reaches a height of 4,900 feet and takes tourists from the town of Stresa, to the top of the mountain, in 20 minutes.
Mount Mottarone is considered a ‘natural balcony’ and boasts panoramic views across the Po Valley to the Alps.
Seven lakes are visible from the summit, which is a 15 minute walk from the cable car station, they include Lake Maggiore, Italy’s second largest, Lake Orta and Lake Mergozzo.
Alpine rescue service spokesman Walter Milan said that the car was ‘very high off the ground’ and another three people have been taken to hospital (stock image)
The area became popular in the early 1900’s when the area opened up for skiing and winter sports.
Since it has seen many people go to enjoy scenic walks, including the Mottarone Alpino Stressa route, a four hour walk from the top of Mottarone which is reached by cable car.
Under a traffic light system, British holidaymakers can travel to a small list of 12 green list countries – including Portugal – without having to quarantine on their return.
Italy is currently on the Amber list which requires them to quarantine for 14 days at home upon return, but they avoid the expensive hotel quarantine required for people visiting red list states.
