Daily Times

Thirteen people died and two children were seriously injured Sunday when a cable car slammed into the side of a mountain in northern Italy, emergency services said. The toll could rise further from the accident in Stresa, a resort town on the shores of Lake Maggiore in Italy’s Piedmont region, the Alpine rescue service said on Twitter. A spokesman said two children aged nine and five had been seriously injured and taken by helicopter to a paediatric hospital in Turin. A statement by Prime Minister Mario Draghi expressed his “profound grief” and offered his condolences to the victim’s families. The 20-minute cable car ride, popular with tourists, links Stresa with the 1,500-metre (4,900-foot) summit of the Mottarone mountain, and offers spectacular views of the Alps.

The ministry of infrastructure said in a statement that the accident occurred around 12:30 pm (1030 GMT) as the cabin, with 11 people aboard, was about 100 metres (yards) from the summit. The ministry said the accident appeared to have been caused by a ruptured cable near the top of the route. Regional president Alberto Cirio said he was “devastated” at what he termed “an enormous tragedy which takes our breath away.” Giovanni Toti, president of the neighbouring region of Liguria, noted that the tragedy had occurred just as Italy was emerging from months of Covid-related restrictions. Sunday, he said, was supposed to have been “a day of re-opening rich in hope.” European Council President Charles Michel offered a tweet in Italian expressing his “most sincere condolences to the families and friends who have lost a loved one in this tragic accident.” Fire service images showed debris from the white and red cabin in a steep wooded area where access appeared difficult.