Rescuers by the wreckage of the cable car after it collapsed near the summit of the Stresa-Mottarone line
(Picture: AP)Italy’s public broadcaster has faced a backlash after it aired leaked footage of a fatal cable car crash that killed 14 people.
The CCTV footage was first obtained and shown on a news programme on the Italian channel Rai 3, with the cabin blurred.
The broadcaster showed the cabin nearing its final stop, before rearing up, then speeding back down the mountain and crashing to the ground, the BBC reported.
A second clip showed a worker running for help as the accident unfolds.
But the footage has since been republished in full or in part by several other Italian media, with some only blurring the victims’ faces.
Prosecutor Olimpia Bossi, who is working on the case, spoke of “the absolute inappropriateness” of Ria publishing the footage.
She said in a press release that although the suspects in the case were aware of the videos’ existence, relatives had not been informed and the broadcast of the footage was prohibited.
The suffering of the victims’ families, she said, “cannot and must not be further exacerbated by actions like this,” the BBC reported.
Other critics include Local Mayor, Marcella Severino, who said she was also appalled by the editorial decision.
The head of Rai, Marcello Foa, said he had “always respected the editorial choices of the directors and I have always refrained from commenting on them publicly, but as president of Rai in this case I cannot remain silent”.
“It is a duty for the public service, in circumstances like this, to carefully evaluate all the implications, starting with the ethical ones and respect for the victims and their families,” he added.
Five families were on board the car when it crashed, killing all but one five year old boy.
Italian police said earlier this year that an investigation showed a clamp placed on the brake as a patchwork repair prevented the brake from engaging after the lead cable snapped.
