14 killed in cable car accident in northern Italy

[Penna]

A disaster, a cable broke. Two children taken to hospital with serious injuries.

At least 12 people are reported to have been killed after a cable car collapsed near Lake Maggiore in northern Italy.

The cable car, which connects the resort town of Stresa and the Mottarone mountain in the Piedmont region, had 15 people onboard, according to Walter Milan, a spokesperson for the Alpine rescue service.

He said two people were seriously injured and described the red and white cabin as “almost completely crumpled”.

The incident was reported to have been caused after a tow rope broke.

Corriere della Sera said two children had been taken to a hospital in Turin by air ambulance. The children in hospital were aged nine and 5, according to the Ansa news agency.

“Rescue operations are continuing. Unfortunately, there are several victims and [some with] serious injuries,” the service said in its most recent update on Twitter.

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/may/23/at-least-eight-dead-in-italian-cable-car-accident

 

[VorZakone]

This is why I don't ride cable cars...

 

[Penna]

I had a bad experience in a cable car at a high altitude, where the car was left swinging in the wind for a long time due to a mechanical breakdown. I'd been in lots of cable cars before, that was the last time for me.

 

[11101]

I hate cable cars and Lake Maggiore is only up the road from me.

 

[Penna]

I hate cable cars and Lake Maggiore is only up the road from me.

It's a horrible accident - at a major tourist spot, too

 

[The Corinthian]

RIP to the victims. Really sad to hear. I haven’t read the article but is there any indication as to what happened? Mechanical? Weather? Poor servicing?

 

[matherto]

I love mountains and the view from them, but cable cars are a big ‘oh God’ moment for me every time the smallest sway starts happening.

What a horrible way to die. Those poor people.

I don’t want to cast aspersions but remember the bridge collapse in Genoa? Could this be another example of lapses in Italian maintenance or just a sad tale?

 

[oates]

I don’t want to cast aspersions but remember the bridge collapse in Genoa? Could this be another example of lapses in Italian maintenance or just a sad tale?

Unfortunately it is one of the first things you think now.

 

[100]

No experience with these things and obviously there should be a considerable safety factor but is 15 not a lot?

 

[Penna]

RIP to the victims. Really sad to hear. I haven’t read the article but is there any indication as to what happened? Mechanical? Weather? Poor servicing?

It says a cable broke, the towing cable.

edit - the article now says 13 dead, sadly.

 

[Penna]

No experience with these things and obviously there should be a considerable safety factor but is 15 not a lot?

Not a lot of passengers for this car, it's less than half its capacity. These are big things.

 

[11101]

I don’t want to cast aspersions but remember the bridge collapse in Genoa? Could this be another example of lapses in Italian maintenance or just a sad tale?

It wouldn't surprise me. Italian cable cars are noticeably older and shitter than the neighbouring Swiss ones.

 

[George Owen]

Damn, what a terrifying way to go. RIP

I had a bad experience in a cable car at a high altitude, where the car was left swinging in the wind for a long time due to a mechanical breakdown. I'd been in lots of cable cars before, that was the last time for me.

Me too. I was on holidays in Taxco, Mexico and the cable car stopped in the middle of the ride, just when a thunderstorm started. 10 minutes of horror in the little car.

More recently I went up to the Mountain of God in Vietnam. It's the largest cable car in the southern hemisphere, but I never feared for my safety or anything. A really well built system, that looks modern and secure.

 

[horsechoker]

Does Italy have a lax attitude towards safety maintenance? I remember the bridge collapse in Genoa a few years ago.

 

[oates]

Does Italy have a lax attitude towards safety maintenance? I remember the bridge collapse in Genoa a few years ago.

A lot of older infrastructure, some sub-standard materials. Maybe a surplus of expectation on how long things will last. Rumours of Organised Crime involvement in supply of materials or the need to squeeze budgets. But I wouldn't say that continues, wouldn't want to libel every structural engineering company or inspector involved.

edit. The cable car underwent renovation in 2016

 

[RedTiger]

More recently I went up to the Mountain of God in Vietnam. It's the largest cable car in the southern hemisphere,

I hate to be pedantic in a serious thread but no part of Vietnam is in the southern hemisphere.

 

[George Owen]

I hate to be pedantic in a serious thread but no part of Vietnam is in the southern hemisphere.

Very close though!

ps. should just have said, largest in the world.

 

[RedTiger]

should just have said, largest in the world.

Would have been hard to argue against that!
On topic, I will never ride a cable car. Ever.

 

[oates]

Very close though!

ps. should just have said, largest in the world.

By what standard is it the largest?

Venezuela

Merida Cable Car, Venezuela – 15,633 feet

The Merida Cable Car in Venezuela is by far the highest gondola ride in the world at fifteen thousand and six hundred and thirty-three feet at the highest point.

or

Peak2peak Gondola

Peak2peak Gondola (Whistler, Canada)
It is the cable car with the highest point above the ground with a height of 436m and is the cable car with 2 adjacent pillars with the largest distance with a distance of 3.03 km.

 

[Adisa]

You can't pay me to enter those things.

 

[George Owen]

By what standard is it the largest?

Apparently, the longest one-wire cable car in the world.

"This is also the only cable car in the world to achieve 4 Guinness records including the longest one-wire cable car in the world, the cable car with the highest difference between the arrival and departure stations in the world (reaching 1,368.93m), the cable car with the world’s longest unconnected cable (reaching 11,587m), the cable car with the heaviest cable reel in the world (141.24 tons). Ba Na Cable Car capacity reaches 6,000 passengers/1 hour with 94 cabins and 22 pillars. Capacity of 6 – 8 people/1 cabin. Fast travel time – only about 15 minutes at a speed of 6 m/s.
Setting foot on Ba Na Cable Car, you will feel like floating in the clouds and the sky, enjoying countless beautiful scenes at the top of Ba Na such as Toc Tien waterfall, magnificent palaces, blooming flower gardens … "

 

[oates]

Apparently, the longest one-wire cable car in the world.

"This is also the only cable car in the world to achieve 4 Guinness records including the longest one-wire cable car in the world, the cable car with the highest difference between the arrival and departure stations in the world (reaching 1,368.93m), the cable car with the world’s longest unconnected cable (reaching 11,587m), the cable car with the heaviest cable reel in the world (141.24 tons). Ba Na Cable Car capacity reaches 6,000 passengers/1 hour with 94 cabins and 22 pillars. Capacity of 6 – 8 people/1 cabin. Fast travel time – only about 15 minutes at a speed of 6 m/s.
Setting foot on Ba Na Cable Car, you will feel like floating in the clouds and the sky, enjoying countless beautiful scenes at the top of Ba Na such as Toc Tien waterfall, magnificent palaces, blooming flower gardens … "

There seems to be competition regarding different measurements.

 

[Solius]

Yeah feck that shit. We went up a mountain in one in Jasper and I found it terrifying. Not sure I’d use one again.

 

[calodo2003]

I took the cable cars in Chamonix where you traverse two huge chasms from the town to the Aiguille du Midi, over a mile & a half long combined & up almost two miles.

I started off looking out the window. I soon sat down right in the middle of the floor & looked straight down.

 

[Penna]

One of the children has now died, 14 people lost. How awful this is. It was the first weekend of things opening up.

 

[Classical Mechanic]

I was in Cavelese shortly after that American fighter jet chopped a cable car down. Had to get a coach to the pistes instead.

 

[Gringo]

Even when a cable car is going smoothly the little bumps over the posts gets me nervous.

 

[Rado_N]

One of the children has now died, 14 people lost. How awful this is. It was the first weekend of things opening up.

awful

 

[utdalltheway]

Awful stuff. I can’t imagine the horror of the people inside once it broke.
I took one in Gibraltar and tbh it might be the last time as it’s never a comfortable feeling.

 

[Cascarino]

One of the children has now died, 14 people lost. How awful this is. It was the first weekend of things opening up.

Absolutely dreadful. It’s the stuff of nightmares.

 

[Penna]

The Italian press is saying that it's an absolute mystery how this happened, as the pulling cable was only checked late last year using magnetoscopic methods, which detect any small flaws. In any event, the other cable (the suspensory one) should have held the car. There's a theory that there may have been a lightning strike, but no-one knows as of yet. People in the area report hearing a loud hissing noise.

When the car actually fell after hitting a pylon, it was only 100m from the lower station.

 

[UweBein]

These things happen - unfortunately. Still remember Kaprun. 155 dead, ffs.

 

[Penna]

These things happen - unfortunately. Still remember Kaprun. 155 dead, ffs.

Fires in tunnels are terrifying, the Mont Blanc one happened around the same time I think.

 

[Lay]

Awful news.

I’ve been on the cable car in Bosnia and me and the wife were terrified because of all the bumps. We also seemed to be the only ones on it as well.

Even though we were safe and nothing happened.To clarify, I don’t think it was unsafe it just our fear.

I don’t think I would go on another one again. We contemplated walking down the mountain just so we didn’t have to get back on it again.

 

[Dante]

I feel as though I'm hearing a lot about crumbling infrastructure these days. The US, the UK, Japan, Italy, etc. all seem to have the same problem.

Is this something that's an issue in all countries all of the time? Or is it especially occurring in countries that industrialised in the late 19th century? Should we expect the whole of the Western World to grind to a halt at the same time?

 

[UweBein]

I feel as though I'm hearing a lot about crumbling infrastructure these days. The US, the UK, Japan, Italy, etc. all seem to have the same problem.

Is this something that's an issue in all countries all of the time? Or is it especially occurring in countries that industrialised in the late 19th century? Should we expect the whole of the Western World to grind to a halt at the same time?

Well maintenance is something that companies like to safe on.

 

[11101]

The Italian press is saying that it's an absolute mystery how this happened, as the pulling cable was only checked late last year using magnetoscopic methods, which detect any small flaws. In any event, the other cable (the suspensory one) should have held the car. There's a theory that there may have been a lightning strike, but no-one knows as of yet. People in the area report hearing a loud hissing noise.

When the car actually fell after hitting a pylon, it was only 100m from the lower station.

Sounds like two failures. The tow cable snapped, they say maybe lightning but i don't think there were any storms around here yesterday. Then the emergency brake failed. The cabin then ran down the guide cable gathering speed until it jumped off.

I feel as though I'm hearing a lot about crumbling infrastructure these days. The US, the UK, Japan, Italy, etc. all seem to have the same problem.

Is this something that's an issue in all countries all of the time? Or is it especially occurring in countries that industrialised in the late 19th century? Should we expect the whole of the Western World to grind to a halt at the same time?

You might have a point. A lot of infrastructure was built in the in the post WW2 boom with cheap, easily workable materials like steel and reinforced concrete, much of which has a lifespan of about 50 years.

 

[shamans]

I feel as though I'm hearing a lot about crumbling infrastructure these days. The US, the UK, Japan, Italy, etc. all seem to have the same problem.

Is this something that's an issue in all countries all of the time? Or is it especially occurring in countries that industrialised in the late 19th century? Should we expect the whole of the Western World to grind to a halt at the same time?

Very interesting thought. I was on the highway that day and saw a broken bridge and started thinking about how amazing the highways must have been even in the 60s or heck early 70s to anyone from a different country.

Then I thought of how long ago a massive place like the u.s built it's infra and how some if it is just not getting the maintenance priority anymore.

Then I thought of other countries I had visited and I really wonder if some roads and bridges are just too old now at countries that were ahead of their time

 

[Penna]

Latest reports are saying that the safety brake also failed, in addition to the cable snapping.

 

[11101]

The police have said the cable car was having problems with the emergency brake so to avoid service interruption the operator disabled it. Sorry to say but that really doesn't surprise me.

https://tg24.sky.it/cronaca/2021/05/26/incidente-funivia-mottarone-stresa-news (in Italian)