14 people died in the cable car accident on Lake Maggiore. The interrogations show how differently the three accused deal with the allegations.
Munich – Italy * urges clarification. And the investigators want to deliver quickly. This weekend, the question will be discussed: Who is to blame for the deaths of 14 people? The reasons for the cable car accident on Lake Maggiore are already known: after a pulling cable broke, the emergency brake did not work, whereupon the cabin with 15 passengers on board accelerated like a bullet with up to 120 km / h towards the valley and finally from 25 meters Height fell to the ground.
The tragedy could apparently have been avoided had the device not been tampered with. That is why three men have been in custody for a few days: the head of the cable car operator and two technicians. They are accused of having accepted the misfortune with approval. Because they are said to have knowingly disabled the emergency brake in order to prevent delays in the cable car operation for technical reasons.
Cable car accident in Italy: “I am to blame for your death – but I am not a criminal”
At least one of the accused seems to have a guilty conscience. The Rome-based newspaper La Repubblica reports that the chief technician confessed to having manipulated the system accordingly. “I am to blame for her death,” the man would have admitted during the three-hour interrogation. However, on many other days he had already acted like this: “I am not a criminal. I would never have let the passengers board if I had thought that the rope would break. “
Apparently he hopes that as a result of the confession he will at least be able to leave the cell and be placed under house arrest. His lawyer gave an insight into the inner workings of the responsible service manager: “My client is devastated and has not eaten or slept for four days. This burden will haunt him all his life. Innocents have died. It could also have been his or my son among them.
Cable car accident in Italy: accused are not released because of the risk of flight
According to the chief technician, he always acted in the knowledge of the two men who were also accused. All three face long prison terms for “violating the most basic safety regulations”. So it should be in the four-page indictment. They will not be released for the time being because of the risk of fleeing.
Both the operator boss and the operations manager, however, deny any guilt and, so to speak, take flight forward. The former is accused of preventing the necessary maintenance work to avoid a temporary paralysis for economic reasons. During the interrogation he is said to have made it clear that he could not have any interest in it. And also: “Safety is not a matter for the operator.”
Cable car accident in Italy: minute of silence and flags at half mast in Piedmont
The third party also sees himself wrongly imprisoned. The man responsible for monitoring the cable car does not want to have been informed of the technical process of his colleague. In addition, maintenance would not have entailed financial losses for him, which is why, from his point of view, it would not have made sense to postpone it.
While there is testimony against testimony among the accused, Regional President Alberto Cirio has ordered a day of mourning for the Piedmont region this Sunday. At 12 noon – almost exactly a week after the tragedy – a minute’s silence is to be observed. Flags are raised at half mast. “Nothing can alleviate the pain, but we feel the need to solemnly remember those who lost their lives in this madness. Piedmont will never stop remembering them, ”Cirio is quoted as saying. (mg) * merkur.de is an offer from IPPEN.MEDIA
Rubriklistenbild: © Uncredited / Firefighters Firefighters / AP / dpa
