London family 'minute away' from cable car crash in Italy
A family of four from London have spoken about being at the scene of a cable car accident in Italy in which two British tourists were killed.Megan Pacey, 50, was with her husband, James Ross, and their two children, Hannah, aged 10, and eight-year-old son, Luke, when they saw a suspended cable car.She said: "We were within a minute or two of [the incident] happening."Italian news agency Ansa has reported that two British tourists and an Israeli national were among the four people who died in the crash on Thursday at Monte Faito in the town of Castellammare di Stabia.
Ms Pacey told the Press Association: "They started winching people down from the cable car."We watched the first couple of people come down in a harness, and as we left, there was a sense of urgency that had kicked in."She said she saw flowers and candles on the steps outside the railway station on Friday, and emergency services remained at the scene.A number of people had to be evacuated from another cable car.A fifth person, believed to be a foreign tourist, was seriously injured during the incident.It is thought that a traction cable snapped, bringing cable cars to a halt.In a translated post on social media, Vincenzo De Luca, president of Campania, called the day "truly tragic and painful" and said his thoughts go to those who died, were injured and their families.He said he was grateful for the rescuers and said an investigation into what happened will be carried out.Luigi Vicinanza Sindaco, the mayor of Castellammare, said on Facebook that there will be a day of mourning and decided to cancel all initiatives for the Easter holidays.A Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office spokesperson said: "We are dealing with an incident in Italy and are in contact with the local authorities. Our thoughts are with those affected.
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