As of: January 26, 2024, 12:09 p.m
By: Maximilian Kettenbach
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Two women fell from a chairlift on the Seiser Alm for reasons that are still unclear - an 83-year-old died.
© ITAR-TASS/Imago (symbolic image)
A South Tyrolean woman died in a meter-deep fall from a chairlift.
Her companion was seriously injured.
Dramatic moments on the Seiser Alm.
Update from January 26, 2024:
The search for the causes of the fall of two women from a ski lift in South Tyrol (Italy) is in full swing.
An 83-year-old died and the other person suffered serious injuries.
Since the accident occurred in the valley area, some skiers had to witness the accident.
The “Gold Button” lift from which the two women fell was only completely renovated for this winter season.
It has space for four people.
Skiers can usually sit comfortably.
Explained just a few hours after the shock
Helmut Sartori, the managing director of Seiser Alm Bahn AG, said the accident probably had nothing to do with technical problems or anything similar.
suedtirolnews.it reports, with reference to the Italian news agency Ansa, that the women probably did not lower the safety bar in time.
However, these are just speculations.
Managing director Sartori also announced: “The people fell out of the chairlift.
We need to find out why so we can prevent something like this from happening in the future.”
Skier falls from chair lift in South Tyrol and dies – managing director comments
First report from January 25, 2024:
Seiser Alm - The accident happened shortly before 11 a.m. near the valley station.
Two skiers from South Tyrol (Italy) fell around seven meters from the chairlift for reasons that are still unknown.
An 83-year-old woman from Ortisei died.
Stol.it
reports “very serious injuries to the head and chest” as well as multiple fractures.
All attempts at resuscitation were in vain.
Chairlift accident on the Alpe di Siusi – skier dies in South Tyrol
There are different information regarding the accompaniment of those involved in the accident.
This is a 55-year-old or 69-year-old person.
According to stol.it,
she is said to
have suffered severe chest trauma, head and spinal injuries and a broken leg.
She was flown to the Bolzano Clinic.
Terrible accident on the Seiser Alm. One person died in a chairlift accident.
(Symbolic image) © Daniel Karmann/dpa
The accident occurred at the “Gold Knopf” lift.
How this could have happened is currently unclear.
The carabinieri are working through the circumstances of the accident, including questioning other skiers.
The injured companion is said to have been responsive, but could not remember what happened to the accident.
As
rainews.it
reports, the “Gold Button” lift has only been completely renovated for this winter season.
Managing director comments on chairlift accident in South Tyrol
Helmut Sartori, the managing director of Seiser Alm Bahn AG, expressed his condolences to the bereaved families, but dismissed safety deficiencies.
He told Austrian media: “The lift is still in operation.
This also suggests that something happened that had nothing to do with the technology.” The lifts would transport over 125 million guests per winter.
On average there are six to seven accidents.
Until this Thursday, no fatalities had been reported in recent years.
Sartori continued: “It was a terrible accident that happened here.
We will clarify what happened in detail.
The armchairs have been completely redesigned.
These are new armchairs.
The people fell from the chairlift.
We need to find out why so we can prevent something like this from happening in the future.”
Chairlift drama in South Tyrol – just a few days ago a gondola crashed in Austria
The emergency medical helicopter Pelikan 2, the air rescuers from Aiut Alpin Dolomites and the mountain rescue team were in action.
Unfortunately, any help came too late for the 83-year-old.
Sartori: “The rescue workers were on site very quickly, but unfortunately there was nothing more they could do for one person.”
It is not the first accident in ski areas this year.
In Hochoetz (Tyrol) a gondola crashed in mid-January.
There were several seriously injured people.