Cable Car Falls From Mountain Peak, Killing Four Tourists
Italy – A serious accident occurred at the Monte Faito tourist area, located about 45 km southeast of Naples, when a cable car suddenly fell, resulting in the deaths of four people on April 17.
At around 4:30 p.m. local time on April 17, two cabins in the cable car system encountered a malfunction and were left dangling near the base of the mountain. The company operating the cable car, Ente Autonomo Volturno (EAV), initially announced that all passengers were safe and were being evacuated. However, approximately 90 minutes later, one of the two cabins lost contact. The president of EAV later confirmed that the cabin had fallen from the mountain peak and called it a tragedy.
Tourists were rescued one by one using cables.
Rescue teams, including 50 firefighters and emergency responders, quickly arrived at the scene and worked through the night under difficult weather conditions due to strong winds and thick fog. Images from the scene showed 16 survivors being rescued individually by being lowered through the air on cables.
The local fire department confirmed via Telegram that four bodies had been found. According to La Repubblica, the victims included a British couple, an Israeli woman, and a cable car operator. One injured person—another Israeli tourist—was airlifted in critical condition to Ospedale del Mare hospital in Naples.
The cable car fell from a height that could have reached hundreds of meters.
Naples Mayor Gaetano Manfredi extended his condolences to the victims’ families. Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni also expressed sympathy to the families of those who died and were injured.
The Torre Annunziata Prosecutor’s Office has launched an investigation into the accident. According to the mayor of the Castellammare di Stabia area, initial findings revealed that “a traction cable snapped.” Just 90 minutes after departing, a cabin at the top of the mountain reportedly plummeted to the ground from a very high altitude.
The accident occurred just a week after Monte Faito reopened to tourists. The cable car line has been operating since 1952. A similar accident in 1960 also resulted in four fatalities.