Company cleared over alpine cable car tunnel fire which killed 155

A JUDGE yesterday cleared of criminal negligence 16 people accused over an alpine cable car fire that killed 155 people.

Judge Manfred Seiss ruled in Salzburg that there was insufficient evidence to find that the 16 accused including cable car company officials, technicians and government inspectors were responsible for conditions that allowed a faulty heater to cause the blaze on November 11, 2000.

All 16 had pleaded not guilty to negligence charges. If convicted, they would have faced up to five years in prison.