Naples cable car crash: Everything we know about horror incident that killed two Brits

A number of unanswered questions remain after two British nationals were among four people killed in Naples yesterday. The cart, which connected Mount Faito with the Napooli town of Castellamare di Stabia,

The other fatal victims included an woman and the cable car driver, who has been named as 59-year-old Carmine Parlato. Following the incident, Italian agencies launched a huge search and rescue operation to retrieve survivors from the mountainside. Miraculously, one individual managed to survive the 100ft drop, which broke through the tree canopy.

Another Israeli tourist said to be in a relationship with the Israeli woman was left with serious injuries and multiple bone fractures. Emergency responders airlifted him to a Naples hospital. Rescuers were working under tough conditions to track down the survivors as the area was plagued with strong winds and thick fog yesterday. They rushed to the scene of the crash, which was close to the top of the 3,700ft peak.

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What happened?

The cable car operator said that the cabin was en route to its destination at the top of Mount Faito around 3pm yesterday when the cable snapped and the car closest to the top of the route came crashing down, went plummeting through the tree tops.

Another cable car, 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.

Italian rescue crews launched a massive operation to track down the victims from the mountain. Four fatal victims were found, with one Israeli man found alive after miraculously surviving the fall.

Describing the series of events that unfolded yesterday, cable car operator Umberto de Gregorio said: "The towing cable of the cabin that was going up broke.

"The cabin downstream had no consequences, it just got stuck and all the people were saved. The cabin upstream, however, we believe went at full speed against the pylon and then fell."

Who's to blame?

Italian prosecutors have launched a manslaughter probe as police continue to investigate the reason for the tragedy, which remains unclear.

Officials do not know why the traction cable snapped. There have been reports suggesting that an emergency brake system failed to work the way it should have. On checking the brake system of a lower cabin, all seemed to be working as it should have been before rescuers evacuated the eight tourists and operator inside.

The site had just reopened for tourists 10 days prior. The cable car company has insisted that all relevant tests had been completed, describing the incident as "an unimaginable, unforeseeable tragedy".

Four years ago, a number of passengers were left stranded after the cable car lost power. Everyone was rescued and there were no fatalities.

Speaking about yesterday, De Gregorio said: "We have been testing for three months. The company has done everything it had to in terms of safety and for this reason no one can explain what happened. It will certainly have to be ascertained, but it will take time."

Strong winds hit the area at the time sparking speculation that the adverse may have caused the accident, but Mr de Gregorio denied this.

'There is a complex system that blocks the cable car when the wind exceeds the warning level, so it was not that'.

What's the condition of the sole survivor?

The Israeli man who miraculously survived the devastating crash is said to be in a critical condition at the Ospedale del Mare hospital in Naples. The hospital added that though his condition is critical, he is considered in a "stable" state.

The patient is "intubated for airway protection and ventilatory support" and "currently mechanically ventilated under deep sedation," the hospital said.

What have officials said?

The mayor of Naples, Gaetano Manfredi, sent his condolences to the British, Israeli, and Napoli victims killed in the disaster yesterday.

He said : "I express deep condolences, on behalf of the Metropolitan City of Naples and myself, for the victims of the tragedy that occurred this afternoon due to the collapse of the Faito cable car cabin."

The country's Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni also extended her condolences from Washington where she is meeting with .

A statement shared by by the Italian government said: "Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, who is in Washington for a meeting with US President Donald Trump, learned of the tragic accident that occurred today on the Monte Faito cable car and wishes to express, on behalf of the Italian Government and her own, her closeness and deepest condolences to the families of the victims and the injured."

The UK's Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) said in a statement: "We are monitoring the situation following an incident in Italy and are in contact with the local authorities".