Naples cable car plunge kills four after wire snaps sending passengers plummeting

Four people have died and another was seriously injured to the ground when a wire .

The vehicle, which connected the Italian town of Castellamare di Stabia, , with the summit of Mount Faito, fell to the ground at around 3pm this afternoon, prompting a large search and rescue mission. Another cable cars, containing 16 people, was trapped in the air as a result of the incident and had to be rescued, with footage in Italian media showing them transferring cars in harnesses. have hampered efforts by mountain rescue teams to reach those injured in the accident, which is feared to have been caused by a cable suddenly breaking.

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The cable car, which offers panoramic views of nearby Mount Vesuvius and the Bay of Naples over its 3km journey, had only recently resumed operations for the season after being closed over winter. The winds are feared to have played a part in the accident.

Umberto De Gregorio, chairman of the EAV public transport company in charge of the cable car service, described today's incident as a "tragedy". He wrote on : "The cabin at the top has crashed, casualties are feared."

Mayor Luigi Vicinanza Sindaco, who is due to visit the area of the accident, shared his distress online. He said in a statement on Facebook: " Due to the serious events of the Faito cable car, all events planned for the Easter holidays are cancelled."

In 2021 ,14 people died in Italy plunged to the ground. Two young children were among the victims who died when it fell 65ft to the ground and rolled down a mountainside before slamming into trees.

Of the four families involved in Sunday's tragedy in Italy's Western Alps, one was originally from and lost five family members, including a two-year-old boy and an 83-year-old woman, said officials.

The lift was carrying 15 people when it fell from the highest point of a line running between the town of Stresa, on picturesque Lake Maggiore, and the summit of the 4,900-ft Mottarone mountain. Stresa Mayor Marcella Severino told local media it appeared a cable had snapped close to the route's final pylon, causing the car to plunge and overturn several times.