A six-year-old boy is the only survivor of the Fall of a cable car into Lake Maggiore, in Piedmont, northern Italy. The tragedy occurred this Sunday (23).
According to the Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera, the boy suffered fractures to his skull, chest, abdomen and leg, and remains in critical condition in the Turin hospital.
In total, 14 people died in the incident, including two children, aged nine and two. According to local authorities, 15 people were in the cabin.
According to preliminary investigations, the accident was caused by a failure in the structure's support cable.
At the highest part of the route, which starts from Lake Maggiore, the second largest in Italy, the cable car reaches an altitude of 1.491 meters. The journey takes around 20 minutes.
The cable car reopened its doors on April 24, after having closed due to restrictions imposed by the covid-19 pandemic.
The last review took place in November last year – and was valid for eight years – and did not present any anomalies, according to the La Repubblica.
Lake Maggiore, between Switzerland and Italy, is one of the most popular destinations for Italian and foreign tourists.
Israel's foreign ministry said five Israelis were among the victims, all members of the same family.
Cable car crash in Italy
Sunday's tragedy was Italy's worst cable car disaster since 1998, when a low-flying American military jet cut the cable of a cable car in Cavalese, Italy. Province of Trento.
The cabin fell from a height of 80 meters, killing all 20 people inside.
The worst cable car disaster in history also occurred in Cavalese in 1976, when the cable broke on the way down Mount Cermis.
The cabin fell from a height of 200 meters, killing 43 people, including 15 children, most from the German city of Hamburg.
The cabin, which had capacity for 40 people, carried 44 occupants.
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