Italy: Four dead in cable car crash

April 18, 2025

Two British nationals were among four people killed after a cable car crashed near Naples, Italian police have confirmed.

The incident happened on Thursday when the cable reportedly snapped.

The victims include two Britons, an Israeli woman, and the Italian cable car operator. A second Israeli tourist was the only survivor. He is in a stable but critical condition, according to the Naples hospital treating him.

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A separate cable car near the foot of the mountain was stuck mid-air following the crash. Nine passengers were rescued in a difficult operation, lowered one by one using harnesses. The rescue was shown on RAI television and other media.

Italy’s alpine rescue teams responded quickly, along with firefighters, police, and civil protection services. The crash came just a week after the Mount Faito cable car reopened for the season. It draws around 110,000 visitors each year.

Umberto De Gregorio, chairman of EAV, the company running the service, called it “a tragedy” and said the cable car would stay closed “for a long time.”

Speaking to Sky News, he said the cause is under investigation.

He said, “Everything we had to do was done. Evidently something went wrong, we don’t know what, whether an exceptional unforeseen event or human error. The investigators will discover all this.

“Furthermore, I knew very well one of the four victims, our employee. He is the brother of my driver – who is also my friend, since we lived together practically every day.

“I knew him and yesterday I saw his heartbroken wife, we hugged each other. There is so much emotion.”

The UK Foreign Office said: “We are dealing with an incident in Italy and are in contact with the local authorities. Our thoughts are with those affected.”

Italian Prime Minister, Giorgia Meloni, speaking from Washington during a meeting with US President, Donald Trump, offered condolences and said she was in touch with rescuers.

(Sky News)