The fall of a cable car cabin left nine dead and two seriously injured on Sunday 23 May in Stresa, a seaside resort in Piedmont on the shores of Lake Maggiore, in northern Italy, told AFP a emergency spokesperson.
"Two wounded were evacuated by helicopter in absolute urgency to the Regina Margherita pediatric hospital in Turin," said Walter Milan, specifying that they were two children aged 9 and 5.
🔴 #Verbania # 23maggio, caduta una cabina della funivia che collega Stresa-Alpino-Mottarone.
Risultano persone decedute, il bilancio è provvisorio.
Squadre #vigilidelfuoco al lavoro.
Sul posto l'elicottero del reparto volo di Varese [13:50 # 23maggio] pic.twitter.com/y4SnbDNNjz
- Vigili del Fuoco (@emergenzavvf) May 23, 2021
Cable break
The accident occurred around 12:30 p.m. 100 meters from the summit station, according to a press release from the Ministry of Infrastructure.
It would be due to a broken cable on the highest part of the course, causing the cabin in which 11 people were to fall, reported the Ansa agency.
Images of firefighters and Alpine Rescue show the debris of the red and white cabin, fallen in a wooded area whose steep slope makes access difficult.
The cable car, popular with tourists, connects the village of Stresa to Mount Mottarone in 20 minutes, which culminates at almost 1,500 meters, offering spectacular views of Lake Maggiore and the Alps.
It had been closed between 2014 and 2016 for maintenance work.
With AFP
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