At least 14 people were killed Sunday in northern Italy when a cable car popular among tourists fell 20 meters to the ground.
Among them was a child who died in the hospital after suffering two cardiac arrests. A second child was seriously injured but conscious and speaking, according to the hospital.
The child and its parents were Israeli, according to news reports. About half the passengers were foreign nationals, according to Italian authorities, who have not released further details.
The Stresa-Mottarone funicular travels between the town of Lake Maggiore to the top of Mottarone mountain of Italy’s Piedmont region. The trip takes roughly 20 minutes.
Images from the scene show a crumpled cable car on a slope overlooking the lake.
Stresa Mayor Marcella Severino called it a “terrible, terrible scene,” and said the accident may have been caused by a ruptured cable.
Severino said the car overturned two or three times after crashing to the ground before being stopped by some trees. Some passengers were stuck inside the cabin while others were thrown out during the crash.
Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi offered his condolences to the victims “with a particular thought about the seriously injured children and their families.”
The Italian government announced later Sunday that it would begin an investigation into the accident.
The Stresa-Mottarone funicular was closed for repairs between 2014 and 2016. It only recently began operating after a hiatus because of the coronavirus pandemic. One of its cable cars can typically carry about 40 passengers.
