At least fourteen people were killed Sunday afternoon in a cable car accident in northern Italy.

A cable car carrying at least 15 people collapsed in the Piedmont region of northern Italy Sunday, in between the resort town of Stresa and the Mottarone mountain in the Italian Alps.

The collapse was apparently caused by a tear in the tow rope, local authorities say.

Two children were airlifted to a Turin hospital for treatment. One of them died after arriving at the hospital, however.

The cable car collapsed into a wooded area, impeding rescue efforts.

"We are devastated, in pain," Marcella Severino, mayor of Stresa, told broadcaster RAI.

Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi tweeted his condolences to the victims' families following the "tragic accident".

"A special thought goes to the gravely injured children and their families."

Local authorities said a number of the victims were foreign nationals, with reports indicating that at least five Israeli nationals were killed.

Israel's Foreign Ministry confirmed that Israeli citizens were among the dead.

אסון קריסת הרכבל באלפים
אסון קריסת הרכבל באלפיםצילום: רויטרס

"The latest update we have from the authorities in Italy is that five Israelis were killed in the cable car disaster," the Foreign Ministry said in a statement Sunday night.

"They include two parents and one of their two children who are living in Italy, along with an elderly couple who apparently live in Israel. It is unclear if the two families are related. The matter is under investigation."

The Foreign Ministry initially reported that six Israelis had died in the incident, but later updated that five had died, with the sixth Israeli victim listed in critical condition.

On Monday, the names of the victims were cleared for publication.

The Israelis killed in the accident include 30-year-old Amit Biran, 27-year-old Tal Biran - Israeli nationals living in Italy - and their two-year-old son, Tom. The family's five-year-old son remains in serious condition.

In addition, Tal Biran's grandparents, Barbara, 71, and Yitzhak Cohen, 83 both residents of Israel, were also killed in the accident.