Police in northern Italy detained three people Wednesday morning for a cable car accident in which 14 people died, after an investigation revealed that a clamp deliberately placed on the brake as a makeshift repair prevented the brake from working when the main cable broke.
At least one of the three people questioned during the night admitted what happened, Lieutenant Colonel of the Carabinieri Alberto Cicognani told Sky TG24.
The clamp, a fork-like piece, had been placed on the brake to prevent it from activating because the system braked spontaneously and prevented the cable car from operating.
The piece was placed several weeks earlier as a temporary fix to prevent further service interruptions, Cicognani said.
THE TRAGEDY LEFT 14 DEAD
The cable car was put into operation again on April 26 after spending the winter closed for quarantines against the coronavirus.
When the main cable broke on Sunday, the car slid down another cable at high speed before falling.
The cable car had recently reopened after a year of closure due to the pandemic, but it all ended in an unfortunate tragedy.
Then it hit the ground, rolled down the hill, and collided with some trees. Fourteen people died. The only survivor, a five-year-old boy, remains hospitalized.