Four die in cable car accident in southern Italy

Rescuers arrive at the smashed cable car near Naples in southern Italy (Italian Alpine and Speleological Rescue Corps/AP)

A cable car carrying tourists south of Naples crashed after the cable snapped, killing at least four people and injuring one.

Italy’s alpine rescue was responding to the accident at Monte Faito in the town of Castellammare di Stabia, about 45km from Naples.

“The cabin at the top has crashed,” said Umberto De Gregorio, the chair of EAV, the public transport company that runs the cable car service. He called it “a tragedy”.

Italian media reports said one of the cables supporting the cabin had snapped. Sixteen passengers were helped out of a cabin that stopped in mid-air near the foot of the mountain. They were evacuated one by one, using harnesses, footage on Rai public television and other media showed.

Vincenzo De Luca, the head of the Campania region around Naples, told Rai that rescue operations were hampered by fog and high winds.

The cable car accident happened just a week after the destination reopened for the season.

The cable car is popular for its views of Mount Vesuvius and the Bay of Naples.