At least eight people have lost their lives in a cable car incident in Italy.

Per the BBC News, Italy's Alpine rescue service confirmed the tragic news, revealing that a cable car had fallen near the summit of the Mottarone mountain in northern Piedmont.

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The car is said to have fallen from its cable with 11 people onboard, Sky News reports.

Local news outlet Corriere Della Serra has reported that two children have been taken by air ambulance to a hospital in Turin.

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Rescue efforts have also been made more difficult due to the capsule falling in an inaccessible area.

Walter Milan, a spokesperson for the national alpine rescue service, told RaiNews24 television: "It is a very serious accident."

Milan also revealed that the rescue call came in at approximately mid-day, and that the cable car is now sitting "crumpled" in the wooded area below.

Sky News adds that mountain rescue teams are being assisted at the site by fire crews.

The Stresa Mottarone cable car is part of a link that transports locals and tourists from the town of Stresa, up 1,400m to the top of the Mottarone mountain. The journey takes approximately 20 minutes.

The transport link had recently reopened after a period of closure amid Covid restrictions.

Featured image credit: John Smith / Alamy

At least eight people have died after cable car falls in Italy