BREAKING: 4 Dead, One Critically Injured After Cable Car Plunge on Mount Faito, Italy

At least four people have died and another left critically injured after a cable car cabin plunged to the ground on Mount Faito, near Naples, southern Italy, emergency services confirmed on Thursday.

According to local authorities, the accident occurred after a traction cable reportedly snapped, sending the cabin crashing down a valley at high altitude.

The critically injured survivor was airlifted to hospital, while poor visibility, heavy rain, and gusty winds have complicated rescue efforts.

Vincenzo De Luca, president of the Campania region confirmed that all the victims were tourists.

More than a dozen other passengers were earlier rescued from a second cabin, which had stalled lower down the mountain. Dramatic footage broadcast on Italian media showed individuals being winched to safety by emergency teams.

The Mayor of Castellammare di Stabia, where the cable car line is based, confirmed the cause was likely a ruptured traction cable.

“The emergency brake downstream worked but clearly not the one on the cabin that was about to reach the top of the hill,” he said.

He insisted that the system had undergone regular safety inspections, and investigations are now underway.

The public transport operator EAV, which manages the cable car service, expressed sorrow in a social media post, calling the incident “a tragedy”.

The cable car line is popular with visitors for its panoramic views of the Bay of Naples, drawing thousands of tourists each year to the region.