Palestinian woman, two Britons killed in Italy cable car crash

A tragic cable car accident on Monte Faito, south of Naples, claimed four lives on Thursday, including two British tourists and Janan Suleiman, a 25-year-old Palestinian woman from Galilee, according to Italian authorities. The crash also killed the Italian driver operating the car. A fifth passenger, Suleiman’s brother, Thabet, remains hospitalized in critical condition.

The cable car was just seconds away from its destination on a scenic plateau when it plunged down the mountainside, Castellammare di Stabia Mayor Luigi Vicinanza confirmed. The elevated lookout point offers sweeping views of the Gulf of Naples and Mount Vesuvius, and is a popular draw for both locals and tourists.

Officials identified the British victims as Elaine Margaret Winn and Graeme Derek Winn.

Mayor Vicinanza described the crash as “tragic” and confirmed that the victims’ relatives, including the Suleimans’ family, were expected to arrive in Italy later in the day. He explained that the accident occurred after the cable car’s traction cable snapped, halting both the descending car and a second cabin still near the departure station. Firefighters rescued nine people trapped in the lower car using harnesses.

Emergency teams also removed portions of the broken cable, which had fallen onto a nearby railway line and the roof of a house.

Italian prosecutors have launched an investigation into the cause of the crash. “It’s far too soon to tell what happened,” said Antonello De Luca, an engineering professor at the University of Naples who previously served as an expert witness in the 2021 cable car crash in Piedmont, where 14 people were killed. That incident was caused by a snapped cable and a disabled emergency brake system.

Professor De Luca noted that Monte Faito’s cableway operates under a similar system. “The emergency brake system failed to stop the cabin for unknown reasons,” he said.

The cable car operator, identified as 51-year-old Carmine Parlato, was remembered by Umberto de Gregorio, chairman of EAV—the transportation company responsible for the cableway. “I knew him well,” de Gregorio said, calling Parlato “an extraordinary person” who was passionate about his work. Parlato was also the brother of de Gregorio’s personal driver.

The cableway system, while less known internationally than nearby tourist hubs like Pompeii or the Amalfi Coast, was beloved by residents and visitors alike for its accessibility to the mountain's views and local archaeological sites. “The cableway system was very popular among citizens and tourists,” Mayor Vicinanza noted in a phone interview.

In the aftermath of the crash, the mayor declared Friday a day of mourning in Castellammare di Stabia. All nonreligious Easter events, including a planned concert, have been canceled.