The accident happened near Lake Maggiore in Northern Italy.
Italian rescue services have said that at least twelve people have died after a cable car fell in northern Italy.
Initial reports had suggested that eight had died in the accident. Alpine rescue officials have warned that the death toll may still rise.
The accident reportedly happened on the service taking passengers from the town of Stresa to the Mottarone mountain
Alpine rescue and air helicopter services responded to the incident. Italian media are reporting that two children have been taken to hospital by air ambulance.
BREAKING 🚨 A cable car has plunged to the ground in northern Italy's Piedmont region, 5 reportedly dead. pic.twitter.com/GtBUmRAUMK
— Insider Paper (@TheInsiderPaper) May 23, 2021
Sky News reports that Enrico Giovannini, the Italian Minister for Sustainable Infrastructure and Mobility has described the crash as a “terrible tragedy.”
“Serious accident on the Stresa-Mottarone cable car. Alpine rescue, and other rescue teams on site. Two helicopter ambulances intervened,” the national alpine rescue service said on Twitter.
Italian emergency services have tweeted that they are attending the scene of the incident.
🔴 #Verbania #23maggio, caduta una cabina della funivia che collega Stresa-Alpino-Mottarone. Risultano persone decedute, il bilancio è provvisorio. Squadre #vigilidelfuoco al lavoro. Sul posto l’elicottero del reparto volo di Varese [13:50 #23maggio] pic.twitter.com/y4SnbDNNjz
— Vigili del Fuoco (@vigilidelfuoco) May 23, 2021
The car was reportedly carrying 11 people at the time of the accident.
It is not yet known what caused the cable car to fall, but local reports have suggested that car may have failed 300m from the top of the mountain.
