On Mount Faito, a cable car crash has killed four people leaving another critically injured. Two of the dead are confirmed as British tourists. Mount Faito has panoramic views across the Bay of Naples.
Italian authorities said the victims included two British nationals and two Israelis, with police confirming that a British couple were among those killed. The UK Foreign Office has stated it is working with local officials but has not yet formally confirmed the victims’ identities.
The crash occurred close to the mountain’s summit, where one of the supporting cables is believed to have snapped. Rescue services said a fifth person was airlifted to hospital in a critical condition.
All four victims were confirmed to be tourists. Local prosecutors have opened an investigation into the incident, which also involved a second cable car cabin. That cabin, located lower on the route, was safely evacuated. Sixteen passengers were winched to safety by emergency crews.
Vincenzo De Luca, President of the Campania Region, said the operation was complicated by thick fog, strong winds and heavy rain. Over 50 firefighters participated in the rescue, with assistance from specialist teams and helicopters.
The mayor of Castellammare di Stabia, where the cable car route begins, said it appeared a traction cable had failed. “The emergency brake worked for the cabin at the bottom of the route but not for the one approaching the summit,” he told local media. He added that the system had undergone regular safety checks and inspections.
Service resumed only 10 days prior to cable car crash
The operator of the service, regional transport company EAV, stated that the line had resumed operations only ten days prior, having passed all required safety protocols. “What happened today is an unimaginable, unforeseeable tragedy,” said CEO Umberto De Gregorio.
Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, who was in Washington at the time for talks with US President Donald Trump, offered her condolences to the victims’ families.
The Mount Faito cable car, which connects the town of Castellammare di Stabia with the mountain summit 1,100 metres above sea level, has been in service since 1952. It has seen previous incidents, including a 1960 crash that killed four people.
In 2021, a similar tragedy in northern Italy claimed 14 lives when a cable car linking Stresa to Mottarone fell due to cable failure and brake malfunction.
Mount Faito’s line, popular with tourists for its panoramic views over the Bay of Naples, is now the focus of an urgent safety review. Investigators are examining how a failure of this nature could occur so soon after its seasonal reopening.
