At least nine people have died and two children are in critical condition when a cable car collapsed in the vicinity of the Italian town of Stresa, in the north of the country and near the border with Switzerland, according to sources from the Emergency services have confirmed to the Italian media. The cable car covered the route from Lake Maggiore to Mottarone mountain when, for reasons still under investigation, the cable that supported it broke 300 meters from the arrival station, in the highest part of the route, where it reaches 1,400 meters high above sea level. According to
Il Messaggero
sources
there were 11 people on board the cable car and the two children have been transferred to a center in Turin.
According to the daily
La Repubblica
, the two seriously injured children have been transferred to the Regina Margherita hospital in Turin.
The accident, says the Italian newspaper, occurred around one o'clock in the afternoon.
When the cabin reached the end of the route, it fell to the ground, perhaps due to a failure in the cable that supported it.
Police and mountain rescue technicians arrived at the scene shortly after.
On the way, a fire truck overturned, but there have been no injuries.
đź”´ #Verbania # 23maggio, a booth della funivia che collega Stresa-Alpino-Mottarone expires.
Risultano persone decedute, il bilancio è provisional.
Squadre #vigilidelfuoco al lavoro.
Sul posto l'elicottero del cast volo di Varese [13:50 # 23maggio] pic.twitter.com/y4SnbDNNjz
- Vigili del Fuoco (@emergenzavvf) May 23, 2021