A scenic cable car ride turned deadly on Thursday when a cable snapped on Monte Faito, sending one of the cabins crashing to the ground and killing at least four people, including two foreign tourists.
One person remains in critical condition, according to local authorities. The crash occurred in the coastal town of Castellammare di Stabia, south of Naples, as the cable car—popular for its breathtaking views of Mount Vesuvius and the Bay of Naples—was making its way up the mountain.
The snapped traction cable halted both the upward and downward-moving cabins. While the downward car remained suspended and was safely evacuated, the upward car ultimately plummeted, leading to the fatal accident.
Among the dead are three tourists, including a British woman and an Israeli woman, according to Marco De Rosa, spokesperson for the mayor of nearby Vico Equense. The identity of the third foreign victim has not yet been confirmed. Naples Prefect Michele de Bari confirmed that eight tourists and an operator were safely rescued from the second cable car.
Emergency responders, including Italy’s alpine rescue teams, firefighters, police, and civil protection units, were deployed swiftly to the scene. Castellammare Mayor Luigi Vicinanza provided preliminary insight into the cause, stating, “The traction cable broke. The emergency brake downstream worked, but evidently not the one on the cabin that was entering the station.”
In response to the incident, Italian prosecutors have launched an investigation into multiple counts of manslaughter and culpable disaster. The tragedy comes just a week after the cable car reopened for the season and serves as a chilling reminder of a similar disaster in 2021, when a cable snapped in northern Italy’s lake district, killing 14 people. Italian Premier Giorgia Meloni, who is currently in Washington meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump, expressed her condolences to the families of the victims.
“My thoughts are with the families affected by this terrible accident. I am in close contact with the rescuers on the ground,” she said.
As investigations continue, questions loom over maintenance standards and the safety of the country’s beloved cable car systems, once again thrust into the spotlight for all the wrong reasons.
