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Site of the accident on Monte Mottarone
Photo: Uncredited / dpa
After the crash of a cable car with 14 dead in northern Italy, the search for the cause of the accident continues.
The local prosecutor has taken over the investigation.
The gondola with the excursionists fell on Sunday near Stresa, west of Lake Maggiore.
An Israeli couple and their two-year-old son who lived and worked in Italy were also killed in the accident.
The woman's grandparents, who were visiting Italy, also died, as confirmed by the Israeli Foreign Ministry.
A five-year-old son of the couple is seriously injured and treated in a hospital.
After the accident, the two children were flown by helicopter to a clinic in Turin, where one died that evening.
The older brother suffered severe leg fractures and was operated on and stabilized on Sunday evening, the Italian news agency Adnkronos reported.
According to the Federal Foreign Office in Berlin, there are no findings on German victims.
The cable car was traveling between the town of Stresa on the west bank of the lake, which is popular with tourists, and Monte Montarrone when it suddenly crashed.
According to agency reports, an investigator said a steel cable had come loose.
The 1491 meter high Monte Montarrone is known for its view of the Borromean Islands in Lake Maggiore and its mountain panorama.
In winter, the area is a destination for many skiers.
"It was with great sadness" that he learned of the accident, said Italy's Prime Minister Mario Draghi.
He expressed his condolences to the families of the victims.
EU Commission head Ursula von der Leyen expressed "Europe's deep sympathy" for the victims' families on Twitter.
In Italy, after months of closure due to the corona pandemic, the cable cars have only been allowed to start operating again for day trippers since Saturday.
According to the Ansa news agency, the track on Monte Montarrone was last overhauled between 2014 and 2016.
sbo / dpa
