Four individuals, including a child, sustained injuries in a significant cable car accident in Italy. The incident occurred at the Monte Moro station in Italy’s Verbano-Cusio-Ossola region at an altitude of approximately 9,000 feet. Reports indicate that around 100 people were left stranded following the crash involving two cable cars earlier today.
The injured individuals were promptly rescued by a doctor and a nurse who were present in the vicinity at the time of the incident. One of the cable cars collided with the structure of the mountain station, while the other struck the valley station, as reported by the local fire brigade.
Filippo Besozzi, the Director of Macugnaga Trasporti e Servizi, attributed the crash to a technical error. He stated to the Italian publication Corriere Torino that the cable car experienced a malfunction, failing to decelerate adequately upon entering the station, resulting in contact with the safety barriers.
“The ascending cable car had approximately fifteen passengers on board, with one individual sustaining an arm injury and others receiving minor abrasions. All passengers were handed over to emergency services and airlifted for evacuation. Efforts are underway to evacuate 94 individuals at the Basso Moro station without any emergencies. Firefighters are utilizing helicopters for the evacuation process, and the situation is expected to be resolved within a few hours,” said Besozzi.
In a separate incident earlier in the month, a San Francisco cable car suddenly stopped, causing injuries to a total of 15 individuals with varying degrees of severity. Two individuals were immediately transported to hospitals, while the remaining 11 were treated for minor discomfort.
Cable cars are a popular tourist attraction, famously referenced in a Tony Bennett song about San Francisco. These iconic vehicles, which do not require passengers to wear seat belts, have been operational in San Francisco since the 1870s and were recognized as a National Historic Landmark in the 1960s. Presently, the city boasts three cable car lines.
The San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency, responsible for operating the cable cars, emphasized their commitment to passenger safety, announcing a comprehensive review of the incident to ensure ongoing safety measures.