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At least six people were injured in a cable car accident in Italy’s Piedmont region on Tuesday, local authorities said, and helicopters were called in to rescue around 100 people.
According to Italian fire authorities, the incident occurred around 11:25 a.m. when two huts collided with the cable car’s upper and lower stations near the village of Macugnaga.
After the accident, the nearby ski resort was closed and the lifts were suspended.
Private mountain rescue teams, police and firefighters quickly arrived on the scene and helped evacuate people stranded on the mountain, mainly tourists.
Filippo Bezozzi, managing director of lift operator Macugnaga Trasporti e Selvizzi, said one of the cabins failed to slow down as expected and crashed into the station’s railing.
“Fortunately there were no serious injuries and no one’s life is in danger. There is a 59-year-old man with a wound to his arm. Others have minor abrasions.”
The Macugnaga cable car was built in 1962 and renovated in 2023 to replace the engine and cabin at a cost of 2 million euros.
There have been several serious cable car accidents in Italy in recent years. The most recent incident occurred in April when four people were killed near Castellammare di Stabia.