Britons, Israeli among dead in Italy cable car crash

Italian authorities on Friday identified the four people killed the day before in a cable car crash as two Britons, an Israeli and an Italian.

A cable broke Thursday on the link taking tourists from the town of Castellammare di Stabia, on the Gulf of Naples, to Mount Faito, about three kilometers (1.8 miles) away.

Local authorities released the names of the three of the dead, while local news agency Ansa cited Naples mayor Gaetano Manfredi as saying the fourth victim was an Italian operating the cable car.

A fifth passenger, also Israeli, was severely injured, local news outlets reported.

Prosecutors launched an investigation into the accident.

"The cable car reopened 10 days ago with all the required safety conditions," said Umberto de Gregorio, head of the cable car company.

The cabin was above a precipice on Mount Faito when the cable broke and fog delayed rescue efforts.

A second cabin carrying 16 passengers was close to Castellammare, all were quickly rescued.

A similar accident on the same cable-car line had killed four people in 1960, when a cabin fell to the ground.

© Agence France-Presse