INTL At least eight dead after cable car falls in Italy [now 14 and the 9 year old in hospital has died]

[Melodi]

Last night Italy won the Eurovision contest and normally the nation would rejoicing but the death toll from the crash is up to nine and at least two children are in the hospital with serious injuries. I gather there is a children's playground at the top of this cable car ride, so I don't know how many of the deaths may have been children.

Italian cable car crash kills 14 people, injures child

At least 14 people died and a child was seriously injured today when a cable car linking Italy's Lake Maggiore with a nearby mountain plunged to the ground, officials and rescuers said.

www.rte.ie

At least eight dead after cable car falls in Italy
Updated / Sunday, 23 May 2021 14:07

The lift had just recently reopened following the gradual lifting of coronavirus restrictions (Image: Vigili del Fuoco)

At least eight people have died and two are seriously injured, after a cable car connecting Italy's Lake Maggiore with a nearby mountain fell, emergency services said.

The Stresa-Mottarone cable car takes tourists and locals from the famous town of Stresa, on Lake Maggiore, up almost 1400 metres above sea level to the top of the Mottarone mountain in 20 minutes.

"It is a very serious accident," Walter Milan, a spokesman for the national alpine rescue service told RaiNews24television.

He said two children had been transported by helicopter to a paediatric hospital in the northern city of Turin.

The rescue call arrived just after midday and the cable car had fallen from very high and was now sitting, "crumpled" in the woods below, Mr Milan added.

Italian news wire Ansa said the cable car was carrying 11 people before the accident.

The lift had just recently reopened following the gradual lifting of coronavirus restrictions.

The accident, which occurred around 300 metres from the summit, may have been caused by a broken cable at the top of the system, the Ansa news agency said.



More to follow...

 

[Dozdoats]

Can't blame this one on John McCain ...

 

[Dennis Olson]

High cablecars have always panicked me. I won’t get on one, ever.

 

[Melodi]

The death toll now at 12....obviously there were more than 11 people on board, but this is in a very remote area so hard news is taking some time to leak out.

Mottarone: Cable car falls on Italian mountain and tumbles down slope, killing at least 14 people

The cable car, linking Stresa to the summit of Mottarone, fell off its cable on Sunday morning.

news.sky.com

BREAKING
Mottarone: Cable car falls on Italian mountain, killing at least 12 people
The cable car, linking Stresa to the summit of Mottarone, fell off its cable on Sunday morning with 11 people onboard.

Alix Culbertson
News reporter @alixculbertson
Sunday 23 May 2021 15:13, UK

• ITALY

Image:The cable car fell at one of the highest points. Pic: National Alpine and Speleological Rescue Corps
https://www.facebook.com/sharer/sha... Italian mountain, killing at least 12 people
Twelve people have died and two children are in hospital with serious injuries after a cable car plunged to the ground near Lake Maggiore in northern Italy.

The capsule fell from its cable close to the second last pillar near the summit of the Mottarone mountain with 11 people on board at about midday (11am BST) on Sunday, Italy's mountain rescue service said.

Two children, believed to be under 10 years old, were taken in two air ambulances to the Regina Margherita hospital in nearby Turin, the service added.

Image:The cable car was crushed on the side of the mountain. Pic: National Alpine and Speleological Rescue Corps

Image:The crash site. Pic: National Alpine and Speleological Rescue Corps
The youngest child, a boy reported to be aged five, suffered head trauma, thoracoabdominal trauma and lower limb fractures but is still conscious, Sky Italia reported. He is in a "serious condition", according to Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera.

Simone Bobbio, a spokesman for the Piedmont region's alpine rescue service said there were no details on the nationality or ages of the victims yet.

Corriere della Sera said rescue efforts have been made more difficult by the fact that the cabin, which has a capacity of 40, fell into a wood in an inaccessible area.

A photo of the wreckage taken by Italy's fire brigade showed the crushed remains of the red and white cable car in a clearing of a heavily wooded area near the peak of the ski resort.
https://news.sky.com/story/man-plot...k-web-attack-ex-girlfriend-with-acid-12269567
The cables of the Stresa-Mottarone lift were particularly high off the ground at that point, said Walter Milan, spokesman for the Alpine rescue service.

Play Video - Nine dead after cable car crashes to ground

Nine dead after cable car crashes to ground

He said the cable line was closed in 2014 for a €4.4 million renovation before opening again in 2016, and had only reopened on 24 April after COVID lockdowns forced the closure of ski lifts across Italy last year.

Fire crews, helicopters, police and mountain rescue teams are on site.
A fire engine driving to the site overturned but there were no injuries.

Image:Emergency services at the crash scene

Image:The cable car crashed in a heavily wooded area. Pic: National Alpine and Speleological Rescue Corps
"A terrible tragedy, I have already spoken with the prefect and the director of the Fire Brigade and Civil Protection. We are trying to understand what has happened, but it is a truly terrible tragedy", said the Minister of Sustainable Infrastructure and Mobility, Enrico Giovannini.

The cable car, which has two cars going in alternate directions, links Stresa on the shores of Lake Maggiore to the summit of Mottarone, at about 1,491 metres (4,900ft) altitude, and takes about 20 minutes with a stop in the middle.

Image:Italy's mountain rescue said the cabin fell near the summit. Pic: Speleological Rescue Corps
In 2001, 40 tourists had to be rescued after a capsule got stuck just after leaving the terminal in Stresa.

There is a small amusement park at the summit, Alpyland, which has a children's rollercoaster with 360 degree views of the picturesque lake and surrounding Alps in Italy's Piedmont region.

Many Italian ski areas have mountain bike and hiking trails that are popular in spring and summer.

 

[tiredude]

man...... ive been on lots and lots of these things..... they are a little creepy...... but they should be celebrating the fact that there may be survivors..... the ones Ive been on I cant imagine anyone walking away from a fall like that.....the trees alone would kill you

 

[Melodi]

man...... ive been on lots and lots of these things..... they are a little creepy...... but they should be celebrating the fact that there may be survivors..... the ones Ive been on I cant imagine anyone walking away from a fall like that.....the trees alone would kill you

I think it is just too early to know exactly how bad this was, I mean they thought there were only 11 people on it but obviously, if you have at least 2 survivors and 12 dead, in a forest area where no one lives (so it is unlikely that someone died on the ground).

So I'll update as there is real news, it is the number one story on most of the European sites right now, it threw Eurovision right off the top spot and if you've ever spent much time in Europe you know what a big deal that is.

 

[Melodi]

Mottarone: Cable car falls on Italian mountain and tumbles down slope, killing at least 14 people

The cable car, linking Stresa to the summit of Mottarone, fell off its cable on Sunday morning.

news.sky.com

Mottarone: Cable car falls on Italian mountain, killing at least 13 people
The cable car, linking Stresa to the summit of Mottarone, fell off its cable on Sunday morning.

Alix Culbertson
News reporter @alixculbertson
Sunday 23 May 2021 16:11, UK

• ITALY

Image:The cable car fell at one of the highest points. Pic: National Alpine and Speleological Rescue Corps
https://www.facebook.com/sharer/sha... Italian mountain, killing at least 13 people
Some 13 people have died after a cable car plunged to the ground near Lake Maggiore in northern Italy.
The capsule fell from its cable close to the penultimate pillar near the summit of the Mottarone mountain at about midday (11am BST) on Sunday, Italy's mountain rescue service said.

Two children, believed to be under 10 years old, were taken in two air ambulances to the Regina Margherita hospital in nearby Turin, the service added.

Image:The cable car was crushed on the side of the mountain. Pic: National Alpine and Speleological Rescue Corps

Image:The crash site. Pic: National Alpine and Speleological Rescue Corps
The youngest child, a boy reported to be aged five, suffered head trauma, thoracoabdominal trauma and lower limb fractures but is still conscious, Sky Italia reported. He is in a "serious condition", according to Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera.

Simone Bobbio, a spokesman for the Piedmont region's alpine rescue service said there were no details on the nationality or ages of the victims yet.

It was earlier reported that 11 people had been on board.

Corriere della Sera said rescue efforts have been made more difficult by the fact that the cabin, which has a capacity of 40, fell into a wood in an inaccessible area.
Mo

 

[ainitfunny]

Death toll now up to 14.

 

[Millwright]

High cablecars have always panicked me. I won’t get on one, ever.

Grandad always said, "I never had any need to get higher 'n corn or lower 'n taters".

 

[bw]

I was there as a teen long before the tram. Beautiful country. Lost my glasses in Lago Maggiore, and Mom had to wire the prescription so I could get a replacement. Great lesson in prepping!

 

[et2]

High cablecars have always panicked me. I won’t get on one, ever.

or zip lines, or bungee jumping.

 

[Oscar Wilde]

Can't blame this one on John McCain ...

Or the USMC.

Fair utilage 'n such:

1998 Cavalese cable car crash - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

The Cavalese cable car disaster of 1998, also known as the Strage del Cermis (Italian: Massacre of Cermis), occurred on February 3, 1998, near the Italian town of Cavalese, a ski resort in the Dolomites some 25 miles (40 km) northeast of Trento. Twenty people died when a United States Marine Corps EA-6B Prowler aircraft, flying too low and against regulations, cut a cable supporting a cable car of an aerial lift.[1][2]
The pilot, Captain Richard J. Ashby, and his navigator, Captain Joseph Schweitzer, were put on trial in the United States and found not guilty of involuntary manslaughter and negligent homicide.[3][4] Later they were found guilty of obstruction of justice and conduct unbecoming an officer and a gentleman for having destroyed a videotape recorded from the plane, and were dismissed from the Marine Corps.[5] The disaster, and the subsequent acquittal of the pilots, strained relations between the U.S. and Italy.

On February 3, 1998, an EA-6B Prowler, BuNo (bureau number) 163045, 'CY-02', callsign Easy 01, an electronic warfare aircraft belonging to Marine Tactical Electronic Warfare Squadron 2 (VMAQ-2) of the United States Marine Corps, was on a low-altitude training mission. At 15:13 local time it struck the cables supporting the cable car from Cavalese. The aircraft was flying at a speed of 540 miles per hour (870 km/h)[citation needed] and at an altitude of between 260 and 330 feet (80 and 100 m) in a narrow valley between the mountains.
When reaching approximately 46.2837°N 11.4672°ECoordinates:

46.2837°N 11.4672°E, the aircraft's right wing struck the cables from underneath. The cable was severed causing the cabin from Cermis with twenty people on board to plunge over 260 feet (80 m), leaving no survivors. The plane had wing and tail damage but was able to return to Aviano Air Base.[

O.W.

 

[Jeff B.]

Or the USMC.

Fair utilage 'n such:

1998 Cavalese cable car crash - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

The Cavalese cable car disaster of 1998, also known as the Strage del Cermis (Italian: Massacre of Cermis), occurred on February 3, 1998, near the Italian town of Cavalese, a ski resort in the Dolomites some 25 miles (40 km) northeast of Trento. Twenty people died when a United States Marine Corps EA-6B Prowler aircraft, flying too low and against regulations, cut a cable supporting a cable car of an aerial lift.[1][2]
The pilot, Captain Richard J. Ashby, and his navigator, Captain Joseph Schweitzer, were put on trial in the United States and found not guilty of involuntary manslaughter and negligent homicide.[3][4] Later they were found guilty of obstruction of justice and conduct unbecoming an officer and a gentleman for having destroyed a videotape recorded from the plane, and were dismissed from the Marine Corps.[5] The disaster, and the subsequent acquittal of the pilots, strained relations between the U.S. and Italy.

On February 3, 1998, an EA-6B Prowler, BuNo (bureau number) 163045, 'CY-02', callsign Easy 01, an electronic warfare aircraft belonging to Marine Tactical Electronic Warfare Squadron 2 (VMAQ-2) of the United States Marine Corps, was on a low-altitude training mission. At 15:13 local time it struck the cables supporting the cable car from Cavalese. The aircraft was flying at a speed of 540 miles per hour (870 km/h)[citation needed] and at an altitude of between 260 and 330 feet (80 and 100 m) in a narrow valley between the mountains.
When reaching approximately 46.2837°N 11.4672°ECoordinates:

46.2837°N 11.4672°E, the aircraft's right wing struck the cables from underneath. The cable was severed causing the cabin from Cermis with twenty people on board to plunge over 260 feet (80 m), leaving no survivors. The plane had wing and tail damage but was able to return to Aviano Air Base.[

O.W.

I was going to see who recalled that disaster. This appears to be tragic accident.

God be with those affected.

Jeff B.

 

[mzkitty]

Gonna be nasty..........



May 24, 2021

STRESA, Italy — The crash of a cable car near picturesque Lake Maggiore in northern Italy, killing 14 people, occurred after a cable snapped and an emergency brake failed, investigators said Monday.

The cable car had almost reached the end station on Mottarone mountain, a nearly 5,000-foot peak, on Sunday afternoon when it suddenly started sliding backward. It slid for hundreds of meters at a height of nearly 40 feet, hitting a pillar and plunging to the ground. There was only one survivor, a 5-year-old boy.

Hikers and local residents said they heard a hissing sound, presumably when the cable snapped and twisted through the air, and then a loud bang.

“A cable broke and the car slid toward the valley without it being stopped by the braking system,” Olimpia Bossi, the lead prosecutor in the nearby city of Verbania, said in a phone interview. “We are trying to determine why this happened and what broke first.”

Ms. Bossi said that investigators were looking into possible charges against the operator of the funicular cable car, the maintenance company and other unspecified entities including manslaughter, attempted manslaughter and violations of safety measures resulting in a public transportation disaster. No one has been charged so far, and investigators are still evaluating different hypotheses, she said.

“This is a terrible moment for me, for my community, for Italy as a whole,” said Marcella Severino, the mayor of Stresa, the lakeside town where the cable car begins.

The accident appeared to be Italy’s worst cable car disaster since 1998, when 20 people were killed when a low-flying U.S. military jet cut through the cable of a ski lift in Cavalese, in the Dolomites.

Though the cable car was a tourist attraction, it was popular with locals, too.

Roberto Daveri, who works as a gardener in Stresa, said he often took the cable car to the summit, then trekked or biked down the mountain. “We’re all feeling shock and dismay,” he said.

Francesco Cotti, the head coordinator of the civil protection agency in the area and one of the first rescuers to reach the mountain top, called the accident scene “devastating.” He said that the tragedy would be a blow to tourism in an area where the economy had already been hit hard by the coronavirus pandemic.

Stresa was unusually quiet Monday as residents expressed their shock. “It’s a tragedy that shouldn’t have happened, not here, not anywhere,” said Samantha Zanoni as she made spritzes at the Café Savoy.

After months of on-and-off coronavirus lockdown, the tourist season was just beginning, she said, and the accident could not have come at a worse time.

City officials declared Monday a day of mourning and at noon bells tolled and shops closed for 14 minutes, one for every victim.

Gianpaolo Rosati, professor of engineering at Milan’s Polytechnic University, said that cables can break for a variety of reasons including corrosion or mechanical failures, such as when a winch puts too much strain on them.

Mr. Rosati said that incidents like this are often a combination of human failure and malfunctioning equipment.
The cable car may have broken free of the support cable that holds the car and severed the cable that pulls it up and down the mountain, he said. In that case, Mr. Rosati said, the brakes would not have functioned properly, since they work on the support cable.

The company in charge of maintenance of the cable car, Leitner Ropeways, said it had carried out a magnetic inspection of the primary cables at the end of 2020 and found no problems.

The Stresa-Mottarone cable car was built in 1970. It was shut from 2014 to 2016 for renovations.

Piergiacomo Giuppani, a leading engineer in charge of safety for over 100 cable car operations in Italy, said routine checks are normally made on components, brakes and cars every morning, and that workers go on daily rides to make sure that systems are properly functioning before opening to passengers.

“I cannot remember an incident because a mechanical component or part of the infrastructure broke on a funicular,” he said. “European regulations are stringent and so are the checks.”

Mr. Rosati said that funiculars, which operate with ascending and descending cars counterbalancing each other, are generally quite safe, with the chance of systemic collapse remote.

The only survivor of the accident, Eitan Bitan, 5, lost both his parents, his 2-year-old brother and their great-grandparents, who were visiting from Israel. He was under sedation in a Turin hospital following initial surgery to treat multiple broken bones. His condition was serious but stable, a hospital spokesman said.

“Silence and sorrow are what is left today of the cable car tragedy in Stresa,” a message on the official account of Italy’s firefighters read on Twitter on Monday. “Be strong, Eitan. Italy’s firemen are all with you.”

Red and white police tape blocked access to the cable car station at the summit of Mottarone mountain. Clouds hung low, occasionally opening to offer breathtaking glimpses of Lake Maggiore below.

Cable and Brake Failure Caused Cable Car Crash in Italy, Investigators Say (Published 2021)

Charges including manslaughter and negligence are being considered following the accident in northern Italy that killed 14 people on Sunday.

www.nytimes.com

 

[Melodi]

The little boy was saved the same way that decades ago one tiny girl survived a plane crash, his Daddy at the last moment had the sense to fold him under his body (the little girl's mother had done the same).

If you are ever in this sort of life or death situation with small children and have a second to pull this off, this is the thing to do. You may die, but a child may live - they are waking the little boy up today and thankfully his other grandparents (who survived) and his aunt are by his side.

 

[mzkitty]

The little boy was saved the same way that decades ago one tiny girl survived a plane crash, his Daddy at the last moment had the sense to fold him under his body (the little girl's mother had done the same).

If you are ever in this sort of life or death situation with small children and have a second to pull this off, this is the thing to do. You may die, but a child may live - they are waking the little boy up today and thankfully his other grandparents (who survived) and his aunt are by his side.

Too tragic, Melodi. He lost his whole immediate family..........

 

[Melodi]

Too tragic, Melodi. He lost his whole immediate family..........

Yes including his great grandparents, I am just happy for him that he still has some living relatives that are with him.