A British couple who were killed in the horror Naples cable car tragedy were “enjoying retirement”, according to their friends. Elaine and Graeme Winn, from Market Harborough, Leicestershire, were named as the British pair among the four people that died on Thursday.
Disaster struck in the Italian city when a wire snapped and sent the cable car, near a mountain, plummeting to the ground – which also killed an Israeli tourist named as Janan Suliman, 25, and the driver of the cable car, Carmine Parlato, 59. Elaine, 58, and Graeme, 64, were said to have been just 30 seconds away from the summit of Mount Faito before the horror unfolded.
The couple’s loved ones have posted tributes on online since they were named. One man, on Facebook, said: “Just heard the tragic news that the couple who died in the Italian cable car crash were Graeme and Elaine Winn. Good friends who were enjoying retirement with lots of motorbike tours and holidays. How incredibly sad.”
Another friend heartbreakingly wrote: “Speechless and gutted! Lovely couple.” Investigations into what cause the terrifying tragedy have started, with several manslaughter and culpable disaster charges reportedly being looked into by police.
A spokeswoman for Welland Park Academy, where Mrs Winn worked as a school business manager, today issued a statement to the Mirror describing her as “a much-loved and highly respected member of our school community”.
The statement said: “We are deeply saddened to confirm that Elaine Winn, the School Business Manager at Welland Park Academy, was among those who tragically lost their lives in the recent cable car accident in Naples, Italy. Elaine died alongside her husband while on holiday.“Her professionalism, warmth, and unwavering dedication to school life touched the lives of students, staff, and families alike. She gave so much to the school beyond her role, and many students will have fond memories of her from the school trips she supported over the years. The care and kindness she showed to everyone in our community means her loss will be felt deeply by us all.“We are currently supporting our staff and preparing to support our students as they return from the Easter break. Plans are also being made to commemorate Elaine’s life in a meaningful way within the school.“We kindly ask that the privacy of Elaine’s family, and that of our school community, be respected as we come to terms with this loss.”
A second Israeli tourist, believed to be the brother of the one of the victims, survived the horrific incident but was reportedly rushed to the intensive care unit at Ospedale del Mare hospital with “extreme injuries”.
The cable car had only recently resumed operations for the season after being closed over winter. The doomed cable car set off at 2:40pm before a problem was reported six minutes later, according to Italian media. This reportedly should have triggered the emergency brake.
La Repubblica said the cabin was “almost at the station” when the cable gave way, causing it to descend rapidly for several metres before crashing into a support pillar around 3pm. The weather is feared to have played part in the accident as a yellow weather alert was declared from 2pm, due to the risk of thunderstorms.
Umberto De Gregorio, chairman of the EAV public transport company in charge of the cable car service, described Thursday’s incident as a “tragedy”. He wrote on Facebook: “The cabin at the top has crashed, casualties are feared.”
Mayor Luigi Vicinanza Sindaco, who is due to visit the area of the accident, shared his distress online. He said in a statement on Facebook: “Due to the serious events of the Faito cable car, all events planned for the Easter holidays are cancelled.”
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, who was in Washington DC attending talks with US President Donald Trump, sent her condolences. A statement shared by the Italian government said: “Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni wishes to express, on behalf of the Italian Government and her own, her closeness and deepest condolences to the families of the victims and the injured.”
These cable cars are a hugely popular attraction for people visiting Naples as it offered visitors panoramic views of the area and nearby Mount Vesuvius – carrying a staggering 108,000 passengers last year. Despite this, it has not been the first time the Faito cable cars have been a site of tragedy.
On August 15, 1960, due to human error, one of the cabins reached the valley without being able to stop its course. The cabin then fell onto the underlying tracks of the Circumvesuviana railway line, leaving four people dead and 31 injured.
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