In brief
At least four people died when a cable car plunged down a mountainside in Monte Faito, Italy, on Thursday afternoon, with one more person suffering from serious injuries. Additionally, nine individuals were rescued from another cable car that became trapped due to the incident.
Rescue teams are responding to a tragic cable car accident that occurred on Thursday afternoon in Monte Faito, south of Naples, leading to the deaths of at least four individuals, with a fifth person critically injured. Luca Cari, the national spokesman for Italy’s firefighters, described the situation as "very ugly." The incident involved a cable car that fell to the ground and rolled down the mountainside, although the exact cause is still under investigation. Emergency services worked to rescue nine individuals stranded on a different cable car, stalled lower in the valley near Castellammare di Stabia, and successfully brought them to safety.Over 50 firefighters were engaged in the rescue effort, battling hazardous weather conditions including high winds and fog, as Governor Vincenzo De Luca underscored the cable car's significance to local tourism. The cable car, which offers stunning views from a plateau over 3,600 feet high, had only recently resumed operation after a winter shutdown.This accident recalls previous tragedies involving cable cars in Italy, including a 2021 crash in Piedmont that claimed 14 lives due to equipment failure. Umberto De Gregorio, chairman of the managing company EAV, called the incident an "unimaginable and unpredictable tragedy."
