An Italian cable car accident has left several dead and two children injured Italian news

The cable car that connected Lake Maggiore in Italy to a mountain near the Alps fell to the ground.

A cable car on the summit of the mountain fell to the ground in northern Italy, killing at least nine people and sending two children to hospital, authorities said.

The Stresa-Mottarone cable car takes tourists and locals from the famous town of Stresa, on Lake Maggiore, almost 1,400 meters (4,600 feet) above sea level to the summit of Mount Mottarone in 20 minutes.

The infrastructure ministry said in a statement that the accident happened around 12:30 pm (10:30 GMT) because it was about 100 meters from the top of the cabin.

Walter Milan, a spokesman for the national alpine rescue service, told RaiNews24 television that two children had been flown by helicopter to a pediatric hospital in the nearby city of Turin.

Milan said the cable car had fallen from a very high point and was now “crushed” in the lower forest.

Images from the fire service show debris from the cabin in a wooded area that makes access to steep slopes difficult.

The accident could have broken a cable at the top of the system, Italian news agency ANSA said.

The summit of Mottarone is known among tourists for its panoramic views of Lake Maggiore and the picturesque islands and its view of the surrounding Alps.

The cable car service first opened in August 1970, after nearly three years of work to replace a rack railway, according to its website.

The dual cable system is divided into two sections, more than 2 km (1.2 miles) between Stresa and Alpino and another 3 km (1.9 miles) between Alpino and Mottarone.

According to authorities, the cable line was renovated in 2016 and recently reopened after the coronavirus blockade forced the closure of ski lifts across Italy.

Members of the Ertzaintza and rescue services are seen next to the fallen cable car after falling in Stresa, near Lake Maggiore [Reuters]