Three people have been arrested in Italy following Sunday's cable car accident on the Mottarone mountain near Lake Maggiore, which left 14 dead. Investigators say the emergency brakes had been deliberately disabled, and the three members of the operating company were aware of the modification.
According to local prosecutor Olimpia Bossi, a fork-like clamp had been placed over the emergency brake after repair work failed, in what she described as a 'conscious act'. The suspects believed the cable would never break, but the brake failure caused the car to travel at over 100km/h when the cable snapped, plunging 20 metres into the mountainside.
The sole survivor, five-year-old Eitan Biran, was protected by his father who shielded him with his body. Eitan was placed in a medically induced coma after surgery but briefly opened his eyes on Wednesday. His aunt is with him in hospital, and he is expected to fully regain consciousness soon.
Prosecutors are investigating suspected involuntary homicide and negligence. The three suspects are the owner, director and chief of operations of the company that managed the cable car. The car had been operating with the tampered brake system since reopening after lockdown a month ago, a period described as 'Russian roulette' for passengers.
This tragedy comes nearly three years after the Genoa bridge collapse that killed 43 people, raising questions about neglect of transport infrastructure in Italy. The cable car, which opened in 1970, had been closed for maintenance between 2014 and 2016 and recently reopened with restricted numbers due to Covid-19.
