A cable car connected Lake Maggiore in Italy with the nearby Alps and crashed to the ground.

Authorities said that the mountain top cable car in northern Italy suddenly crashed to the ground, killing at least 12 people and sending two children to the hospital.

The Stresa-Mottarone cable car takes tourists and locals away from the famous town of Stresa on Lake Maggiore, at an altitude of 2040 minutes, at an altitude of 1,400 meters (4,600 feet), directly to the top of Mottarone.

The Ministry of Infrastructure said in a statement that the accident occurred around 12:30 noon (10:30 GMT) on Sunday because the cabin was about 100 meters (328 feet) from the top of the mountain.

Walter Milan, spokesperson for the Italian Mountain Rescue Service, said rescuers are continuing to search the area when there are possible signs that a 15th person may be riding in the cable car.

Milan said earlier on RaiNews24 that the two children had been transported by helicopter to a pediatric hospital in Turin, nearby Turin.

Milan said that the cable car fell from a high point and is now “crushed” in the woods below.

The cable car car plunged to the penultimate pillar as it moved on the mountain [AFP]

The image from the Fire Services Department shows debris in a cabin in a forested area where the slope is steep and difficult to access.

Italian news agency ANSA stated that the accident may have been caused by a broken cable on the top of the system.

The Mottarone Peak is popular with tourists for its panoramic views of Lake Maggiore and its picturesque islands, as well as the surrounding Alps.

Its website says that after nearly three years of work to replace the cog railway, the cable car service opened for the first time in August 1970.

The dual cable system is divided into two parts, between Stresa and Alpino just over 2 kilometers (1.2 miles), and between Alpino and Motarone only 3 kilometers (1.9 miles).

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

After the crashed cable car crashed in Stresa near Lake Maggiore, police and rescuers were seen nearby [Reuters]