Cable Car Snaps Near Mountaintop—5 Dead, One Man Critical [WATCH]

A British couple was among five people killed on Thursday when a cable car crashed near the top of Mount Faito, just moments from reaching the terminal station.

As The Daily Mail reported, the cable car, which departed from the town of Castellammare di Stabia at 2:40 p.m., was only about 20-25 seconds from its destination when disaster struck, according to local officials.

The victims included the British couple, two Israeli tourists, and the 59-year-old cable car operator identified as Carmine Parlato. A sixth passenger, an Israeli man, was found alive but seriously injured among the wreckage.

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Authorities said he suffered multiple bone fractures and remains in critical but stable condition at a Naples hospital.

Initial investigations suggest that the emergency braking system failed after the cable car came to a halt near the summit of the 3,700-foot peak.

The car began to slide backwards before the traction cable snapped, sending the cabin into a nearby pylon at full speed before plummeting nearly 100 feet into a forested ravine.

“The towing cable of the cabin that was going up broke,” said Umberto de Gregorio, head of the company operating the cableway. “The cabin upstream, we believe, went at full speed against the pylon and then fell.”

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Rescue efforts were hindered by poor weather, including strong winds and dense fog, which made aerial visibility difficult. It took two hours for emergency responders to reach the scene and locate the wreckage.

One rescuer reported hearing breathing before locating the survivor, who was later airlifted to a hospital.

Four tourists were killed and one critically injured after a cable car crashed near Monte Faito, Italy, due to a snapped cable. Rescue efforts are hindered by harsh weather at 1,500m altitude. The injured victim was airlifted to a hospital. pic.twitter.com/QUvRpFUwsP

— Geopoliti Monitor (@GeopolitixM) April 17, 2025

Another cable car, descending the mountain at the time, also came to a stop but remained intact. Sixteen people on board that cabin, including a German family, tourists, and exchange students, were safely lowered to the ground by rescue personnel.

An investigation has been opened by the Torre Annunziata prosecutor’s office into possible manslaughter and safety violations. The cause of the mechanical failure remains under review.

De Gregorio stated that the cableway had reopened just last week following three months of maintenance and testing.

Two British nationals are among four people who have been killed in a cable car crash near Naples.
Officials say the crash happened after a supporting cable snapped.#cableCar #naples #skynews #fyp pic.twitter.com/UpQfNLPAQD

— TRUMP TEAM ORGANIZATION (@teamtrumporgani) April 18, 2025

Thursday’s accident marks the second deadly incident on this cableway since it began operating in 1952. In a 1960 incident, a cabin lost control and collided with railway tracks below, resulting in four deaths and over 30 injuries.

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, currently in Washington for meetings with U.S. President Donald Trump, offered condolences on behalf of the Italian government. Naples Mayor Gaetano Manfredi also issued a public statement mourning the victims.

The UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office confirmed it is coordinating with Italian authorities, stating, “We are dealing with an incident in Italy and are in contact with the local authorities. Our thoughts are with those affected.”

Italy has a history of cable car tragedies, including a 2021 incident in the Alps that killed 14 people when a cable snapped. In 1998, a U.S. military aircraft severed cables in the Dolomites, causing a gondola to crash and killing 20 people.

The investigation into the Monte Faito disaster is ongoing.

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