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14 People Die From Cable Car Collapsing In Italian Mountains

(Handout photo by Italian National Alpine and Speleological Rescue Corps via Getty Images)

Brianna Lyman News and Commentary Writer
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A cable car crashed Sunday in Italy after the lead cable reportedly snapped, leaving one sole survivor, according to reports.

The incident happened around 1:00 p.m., Sunday when the cable car was traveling from Lake Maggiore to Mottarone Mountain, according to The New York Times. The cable snapped around 984 feet from the top of the mountain, sending the car crashing to the ground and into a wooded area, according to CNN, which cited a spokesperson from the National Alpine Speleological Rescue Corps.

Fourteen individuals died, with one sole five-year-old surviving the wreckage, according to the Associated Press (AP). The child, identified as an Israeli living in Italy, Eitan Biran, lost his parents, younger brother and two great-grandparents in the accidents, the Israeli foreign ministry said, according to the report. Biran is hospitalized with multiple broken bones, the AP reported.

Some of the victims’ bodies were reportedly strewn across the field after having been tossed from the car. Witnesses said they heard a “loud hiss” when the cable snapped, according to the AP. (RELATED: Train Crash In Taiwan Leaves 51 Dead)

Italy’s Transport Minister Enrico Giovannini announced a commission inquiry into the accident on Monday to investigate what caused the accident, according to the AP.

The cable line’s lift structure underwent a full renovation in 2016 and had a full maintenance check performed in 2017, according to the report. The cables were again checked in 2020, including as recently as December, according to the AP.