Cable-Car Accident Follows Two Other Italian Disasters

STRESA, ITALY — Tragedy struck one of the world's most beautiful regions, when a cable car crashed down and rolled near the town of Stresa, in the scenic Piedmont region of north-western Italy.

Here are the details: The BBC reports that fifteen people boarded a cable car in the Italian town of Stresa just after midday on Sunday 23 May.

This cable car system moves tourists at a relatively high speed, taking only 20 minutes to complete the steep journey from Stresa to a lookout point on mount Mattarone.

When the cable car was only 300 meters from the top, it seems that a cable snapped, and the car fell about 20 meters and rolled down the steep slope, before being stopped by trees.

Nearby hikers reportedly heard a loud hiss before the crash.

Some of those who died were thrown from the car.

Of the fifteen passengers, fourteen died while the only survivor is being treated for serious injuries in a nearby hospital.

The disaster is likely to renew doubts about Italy's transport infrastructure.

In 2018, the Morandi bridge in Genoa collapsed after years of neglect, killing 43 people.

In 2009, a freight train carrying gas derailed and exploded, killing 32 people.

That accident was also blamed on poor maintenance.

Rescuers faced a crash site on steep and difficult terrain.

A fire-service vehicle overturned while responding, but no rescuers were injured.

Each cable car can usually hold about 40 passengers.

The service had recently reopened following the lifting of coronavirus restrictions.