Over dozen people dead in Italian cable car crash

The death toll from a cable car accident in Italy's northern Piedmont region has risen to 14, emergency services said.

The toll could rise further from the accident in the resort town of Stresa on the shores of Lake Maggiore, the Alpine rescue service said on Twitter. 

A spokesman earlier reported nine dead, and two children aged nine and five seriously injured.

A photo of the wreckage taken by Italy's fire squad showed the crushed and crumpled remains of the cable car in a clearing of a thick patch of pine trees near the summit of the Mottarone peak overlooking Lake Maggiore.

At that location, the cables of the ski lift were particularly high off the ground, said Walter Milan, spokesman for the Alpine rescue service. The cause has not been determined.

Milan noted that the cable line had been renovated in 2016 and had only recently reopened after coronavirus lockdowns forced the closures of ski lifts across Italy.

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Mottarone reaches a height of 1,491 meters and overlooks the picturesque lake and the surrounding Alps of Italy's Piedmont region. 

The mountain features a small amusement park, Alpyland, that has a children's rollercoaster offering 360-degree views of the scenery.

Many Italian ski areas feature mountain bike paths and hiking trails that are popular in spring and summer.

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