Three people have been arrested in connection with the cable car accident that rocked Italy on May 23.
Chief prosecutor Olimpia Bossi told The New York Times that the ’emergency brake system of the cable car that fell had been tampered with.’ The cable car was sliding backward at over 100km/h due to the failing brakes when the cable broke.
The BBC reports that a fault in the mechanical system was identified last month, but to ‘ensure that the service could continue working,’ a clamp had been placed on the brake to stop it from engaging. The suspects are under investigation for involuntary homicide and negligence.
A five-year-old Israeli boy, Eitan Biran, was the only survivor. He lost both his parents, a younger brother, and two great-grandparents in the crash.
He was placed in a medically induced coma, and his aunt is with him in the hospital. He is expected to fully regain consciousness in the next few days.
The town of Stresa closed its businesses for 14 minutes, on May 24 in remembrance of the victims, one minute for each victim.
Picture: Twitter
