The Cavalese cable car disaster of 1976 is the deadliest cable car accident ever. On 9 March 1976 the steel supporting cable of an aerial tramway-style cable car broke as a car was descending from Cermis near the Italian ski-resort Cavalese in the Dolomites, 40 km north-east of Trento.
The cabin fell some 200 metres (660 ft) down a mountainside, then skidded 300 feet (91 m) before coming to a halt in a grassy meadow. In the fall the three-ton overhead carriage assembly fell on top of the car, crushing it. Forty-three people died, including 15 children aged between 7 and 15 and the 18 year old cable car attendant. Initial reports stated 42 dead with one missing, however the last body, that of Fabio Rustia, was found later.[1] The only survivor was a 14-year-old Milanese girl, Alessandra Piovesana.[2] The cable car had a capacity of 40 people or 7,000 pounds (3,200 kg). At the time of the accident it had 44 occupants – justified by the operator as many of them were children. Most of the victims were West Germans from Hamburg. Among those aboard were 21 Germans, 11 Italians, 7 Austrians and one French woman.[1][3][4]
The inquest found that two steel cables crossed and one severed the other. The automatic safety system which could have prevented disaster was switched off.[5] Four lift officials were jailed for their part in the disaster.[1]