Pope Francis expressed his condolences to the families of the victims of the cable car accident at Stresa-Mottarone, Italy, which left 14 people dead and only one survivor, a little boy of 5 years old.
In a telegram signed by his Secretary of State, Pietro Parolin, and addressed to Bishop Franco Giulio Brambilla, bishop of Novara, the Pontiff assured his closeness to the local community, the Diocese of Novara and “the beloved Italian people, saddened by this grave tragedy.”
Stresa is a seaside resort in Piedmont on the shores of Lake Maggiore in northern Italy.
“Thinking with compassion of so many lives tragically cut short while immersed in the wonder of creation,” the Sovereign Pontiff assured his prayers for the “deceased, those who mourn them, and for little Eitan, whose delicate situation he follows with concern.”
While imploring the Lord’s comfort for those who suffer, Pope Francis conveyed the apostolic blessing to all who are in grief.
Hospitalized at the Regina Margherita Children’s Hospital in Turin, five-year-old Eitan is the only survivor of the accident. In the tragedy, he lost his father (30 years old), his mother (27 years old), his little brother (2 years old) and his great-grandparents, who came from Israel to Italy for a short vacation. Other victims include two children aged two and five.
On the day of the disaster, the President of the Piedmont region said he was “devastated”, while President Sergio Mattarella and Prime Minister Mario Draghi expressed their “deep pain.”
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