Israeli woman among four killed as cable car crashes in northern Italy

Four people, including an Israeli woman, were killed yesterday (Thursday) when a cable snapped on a cable car system in southern Italy, sending one of the cabins crashing to the ground.

The incident occurred on the Monte Faito cable car line in Castellammare di Stabia, in the Naples region. According to reports, the cable snapped shortly after 3:00 p.m. local time, leaving two cabins - carrying a total of 14 passengers - suspended mid-air. One of the cabins, which had five people onboard, plummeted approximately 28 meters (92 feet) before crashing into the terrain below.

Sky News reported that the victims included two couples and a tour guide. Four of the five occupants were pronounced dead at the scene. The fifth, reported by Italian media to be the partner of the deceased Israeli woman, was critically injured and taken to a nearby hospital.

The cable car line had only recently reopened for the summer season, and a comprehensive maintenance inspection had reportedly been scheduled but not yet carried out. At the time of the accident, the area was experiencing poor weather conditions, including strong winds and dense fog.

Italian authorities have launched an investigation into the cause of the accident.

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, who was in Washington, DC, meeting with former U.S. President Donald Trump at the time of the disaster, said she was in contact with emergency responders and expressed condolences to the victims' families.

Naples Mayor Gaetano Manfredi also issued a statement: “Our condolences to the families of the victims of the Monte Faito cable car tragedy. We are united in grief, in respect, and in responsibility.”

This is the second time in recent years that an Israeli has been killed in a cable car disaster in Italy. In 2021, a cable car crash near Lake Maggiore claimed the lives of 14 people, including multiple members of an Israeli family.