The investigation into Italy’s cable-car disaster that killed 14 people will focus on why the lead cable snapped.

Investigators will try to find out why the emergency brake didn’t engage and prevent the cabin from careening back down the mountain until it pulled off the support line and crashed to the ground.

Verbania prosecutor Olimpia Bossi outlined the key areas of her investigation: “The brakes of the security system didn’t work. Otherwise the cabin would have stopped,” she said. “Why that happened is naturally under investigation.”

Ms Bossi spoke to reporters as the lone survivor of Sunday’s horrific tragedy, a five-year-old Israeli boy living in Italy, remained hospitalised in intensive care with multiple broken bones.

The Israeli foreign ministry identified him as Eitan Biran. His parents, younger brother and two great-grandparents were among the dead, the ministry said, correcting an earlier statement that had included Eitan among the victims. Italian media identified all the other victims as residents of Italy.

The disaster, in one of the most picturesque spots in northern Italy – the Mottarone mountaintop overlooking Lake Maggiore – raised questions about the safety of Italy’s transport infrastructure.

Transport Minister Enrico Giovannini visited the site yesterday and announced a commission of inquiry to investigate the “technical and organisational causes” of the disaster, while prosecutors will focus on any criminal blame.

Mr Giovannini told reporters the aim of the investigative commission would be to “ensure this never happens again.” The transport ministry said that the whole lift structure underwent a renovation in August 2016, and that a full maintenance check was performed in 2017. There were more inspections last year.

In November and December 2020, other checks were performed on the cables. This included magnetic inspections on the primary cables of the lift, the cable that pulls the cabin up the mountain, the support cable that holds the car and the rescue cables.

 The mayor of Stresa, Marcella Severino, quoted witnesses as saying they heard a “loud hiss”, apparently when the lead cable snapped. She said the cabin reeled back down the line until it hit a pylon and then plummeted to the ground. It rolled over two or three times before crashing into trees, she said.

Some of the bodies were thrown from the car and were found among the trees.

In comments to LaPresse news agency and other reporters, Ms Bossi noted that the emergency brake had engaged on the other cable car that was traveling in the opposite direction, down the mountain.

Reuters