A five-year-old has been confirmed as the sole survivor of a cable car accident that killed 14 people in Italy.

According to CNN, the incident in question took place on Sunday, May 23, when a Stresa-Mottarone cable car transporting 15 passengers dropped from a height of more than 300 meters to the ground below.

The cable car had been some 1,491 meters above sea level, between Lake Maggiore and the top of the nearby Mottarone mountain in the Piedmont region of Italy.

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Two children, who were among the only survivors pulled from the wreckage by first responders from the National Alpine Speleological Rescue Corps, were airlifted to a nearby hospital.

The Guardian reports that one of the two children, a nine-year-old, has since died after going into cardiac arrest and several subsequent attempts by doctors to restart his heart failed.

Meanwhile, the other child is currently in a critical condition after being left with serious injuries, including broken legs and brain trauma, as a result of the fall.

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On social media, a number of images have since emerged showing the emergency services prying apart the mangled cable car, which can be seen lying in a twisted heap in a wooded alpine area halfway up the mountainside.

CNN reports that Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi has since shared a message of sympathy to all those affected by the disaster, stating: "I learned with deep sorrow the news of the tragic accident of the Stresa-Mottarone cable car.

"I express the condolences on behalf of the whole government to the families of the victims, with a special thought for the children who were seriously injured and their families."

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Per The Guardian, Alberto Cirio, the president of the Piedmont region, later told local media outlet Rai news: "It's a terrible tragedy.

"And it happened on the first weekend of opening up, with people able to move around. We need to understand what happened, but security must never be neglected."

Mayor of Stresa Marcella Severino also told the outlet: "This is a terrible human tragedy and a tragedy for the territory. Tomorrow morning we will hold a meeting with the various institutions […] right now we are crying for the victims."

Featured Image Credit: Alamy/Alexander Karelin

Five-year-old is the only survivor of cable car crash that killed 14