Tragic Cable Car Accident Claims Four Lives Near Naples

A distressing cable car accident near Naples, Italy, resulted in the deaths of four tourists and severe injuries to another, leading authorities to investigate safety protocols.

Four tourists tragically lost their lives after a cable car plunged from a mountain near Naples, Italy, on Mount Faito. Officials stated that another person sustained critical injuries and was promptly airlifted to a hospital. Reports suggest that the accident occurred when one of the support cables snapped as the cabin approached the mountain's peak, with the second cabin situated nearer the valley containing 16 passengers who were successfully rescued.

Following the incident, an investigation has been initiated by local prosecutors to determine the specifics of the tragedy. Vincenzo De Luca, the president of the region, confirmed that all casualties were visitors and highlighted that adverse weather conditions, such as fog, wind, and rain, hindered rescue efforts. More than 50 firefighters participated in the operation to rescue passengers and stabilize the situation.

Local officials speculated that a traction cable may have been the cause of the crash, as the emergency brakes worked on other cables but failed on the cabin heading uphill. De Luca emphasized that routine safety checks were consistently done on this three-kilometer long cable car line. The EAV public transport company, which operates the cable car, asserted that the seasonal ride had reopened just 10 days prior, fully complying with safety protocols.

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, who was in Washington at the time of the incident, expressed profound condolences to the victims' families while reflecting on the history of cable car accidents in Italy, including a similar incident in 1960 that also claimed four lives and a tragic event in 2021 resulting in 14 fatalities. The Mount Faito cable car has been a fixture in the region since 1952, underscoring the gravity of this unforeseen tragedy.