Monte Faito cable car crash
{{Short description|2025 cable car crash near Naples, Italy}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2025}}
{{Infobox event
| image = Funivia Monte Faito.JPG
| caption = A Monte Faito cable car in 2007
| date = {{start date|2025|04|17|df=yes}}
| Location = Monte Faito near Castellammare di Stabia, Campania, Italy
| reported deaths = 4
| reported injuries = 1
}}
On 17 April 2025, a cable car at Monte Faito near Castellammare di Stabia, Campania, Italy, crashed, resulting in the deaths of four people and serious injuries to one other. The incident occurred when the hauling cable snapped during descent, causing the cabin to fall. A second cabin stayed on the track cable and was successfully evacuated. The crash took place shortly after the seasonal reopening of the cable car service. Investigations into the cause of the crash are ongoing.
Background
The Monte Faito cable car connects the town of Castellammare di Stabia with the summit of Monte Faito, a tourist destination near the Bay of Naples.{{Cite news |date=2025-04-17 |title=Italy cable-car crash leaves four dead |url=https://www.lemonde.fr/en/international/article/2025/04/17/italy-cable-car-crash-leaves-four-dead_6740356_4.html |access-date=2025-04-17 |work=Le Monde |agency=Agence France-Presse}} The service, which averages around 110,000 visitors each year, had recently resumed operation for the 2025 spring season on 25 March after routine winter maintenance. The cableway is managed by the regional transport company Ente Autonomo Volturno (EAV).{{Cite web |date=17 April 2025 |title=Four dead in cable car accident in Italy |url=https://www.bluewin.ch/en/news/four-dead-in-cable-car-accident-in-italy-2657613.html |access-date=17 April 2025 |website=blue News |language=en}}{{Cite web |date=April 17, 2025 |title=Seilbahnunglück - Vier Tote bei Absturz einer Seilbahnkabine bei Neapel |trans-title=Cable car accident - Four dead in cable car crash near Naples |url=https://www.srf.ch/news/international/seilbahnunglueck-vier-tote-bei-absturz-einer-seilbahnkabine-bei-neapel |access-date=2025-04-17 |website=Schweizer Radio und Fernsehen (SRF) |language=de}}
Accident
The cabin was descending Monte Faito in the town of Castellammare di Stabia when a traction cable broke, causing it to suddenly plunge into a ravine after stopping very close to the station at the top of the peak, at around {{convert|1050|m|adj=on}}.{{Cite web |last=Nadeau |first=Barbie Latza |date=2025-04-17 |title=Four people killed, one injured as cable car plunges into a ravine in Italy |url=https://edition.cnn.com/2025/04/17/europe/monte-faito-four-killed-italy-cable-car-intl-latam/index.html |access-date=2025-04-17 |website=CNN |language=en}}
Four of the five passengers in the affected cabin died at the scene, and the fifth suffered life-threatening injuries and was airlifted to a hospital in Naples. Emergency responders, including alpine rescue teams, police, civil protection personnel and more than 50 firefighters, arrived at the scene and worked into the evening in severe weather conditions, with fog and strong winds making rescue operations difficult.{{Cite news |date=April 18, 2025 |title=A British and an Israeli woman were among 4 killed in a cable car crash south of Naples |url=https://www.ctvnews.ca/world/article/a-british-and-an-israeli-woman-were-among-4-killed-in-a-cable-car-crash-south-of-naples/ |access-date=April 18, 2025 |publisher=CTV News |language=en |agency=Associated Press}} Due to the conditions the rescuer needed more than 90 minutes to reach the cabin.{{Cite web |date=2025-04-19 |title=Seilbahn-Absturz in Italien: Vier Menschen sterben – gerettete deutsche Studentin berichtet von Unglück |url=https://www.fr.de/panorama/riss-waehrend-italien-unwetter-vier-tote-bei-absturz-von-seilbahn-gondel-das-zugseil-93690043.html |access-date=2025-04-19 |website=www.fr.de |language=de}} A second cabin carrying 16 passengers, which had become stranded right after leaving the bottom station, was safely evacuated by rescue personnel. Tourists on board were uninjured but treated for shock.{{Cite web |last1=Gozzi |first1=Laura |last2=Rawnsley |first2=Jessica |date=2025-04-17 |title=Four dead in cable car crash south of Naples |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cvgq7345yrjo |access-date=2025-04-17 |website=BBC News |language=en-GB}}{{Cite news |date=2025-04-17 |title=Four dead after cable car crash in southern Italy |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/apr/17/four-dead-after-cable-car-crash-in-southern-italy |access-date=2025-04-17 |work=The Guardian |language=en-GB |issn=0261-3077}}
Victims
The four deceased victims were identified as three tourists, a brother and sister from Britain and an Arab-Israeli woman, as well as the Italian cable car driver. The injured victim was the brother of the Arab-Israeli woman.{{Cite web |last=Willan |first=Philip |date=2025-04-17 |title=Two British tourists killed in cable car crash near Naples |url=https://www.thetimes.com/world/europe/article/four-people-killed-in-cable-car-crash-in-naples-6b63s95mz?region=global |access-date=2025-04-17 |website=The Times |language=en}}
Reactions
Italy’s President of the Senate expressed condolences to the families of the victims. Italy’s transport minister called the accident “a grave tragedy” and pledged transparency in the investigation. Prime minister Giorgia Meloni who was on a trip to Washington also expressed sincere condolences through her office. Prosecutors in Torre Annunziata, having judicial oversight over Castellammare di Stabia, have opened an investigation into possible manslaughter, which will involve an inspection of the cable stations, the pylons, the two cabins and the cable.{{Cite news |last=Povoledo |first=Elisabetta |date=2025-04-17 |title=At Least 4 Are Killed in Cable Car Crash in Italy |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2025/04/17/world/europe/italy-cable-car-crash.html |access-date=2025-04-17 |work=The New York Times |language=en-US |issn=0362-4331}}