Italian authorities have confirmed that a British couple were counted as two of the four tourists killed in a cable car crash near Naples.
The UK Foreign Office said it was in touch with local police but has not confirmed the identities of the victims.
The mountain cable car cabin plummeted to the ground on Thursday after one of its supporting cables snapped.
Another fifth person was "extremely seriously injured" during the crash at Mount Faito and was airlifted to hospital.
Another person was 'extremely seriously injured' during the crash at Mount Faito and was airlifted to hospital
REUTERSItalian media had reported that the cable car had come to a halt and several people had been rescued from a second cabin.
The second cabin was also said to have stopped further down the valley.
Vincenzo De Luca, who serves as the region's president, stressed that poor weather conditions were making a rescue operation difficult, with fog, wind and rain impacting the area.
The crash also took place at high altitude, amplifying the problems posed by adverse weather conditions.
MORE LIKE THIS:
- 'One of the most beautiful countries' in Europe considers tourist tax in blow to UK holidaymakers
- Travel warning: Chaos for Britons in Spain as strike action looms - what tourists need to know ahead of Easter weekend
- Travel update for Britons as Spanish hotspot lifts state of emergency - 'Journeys may be affected'
The Mayor of Castellammare di Stabia, where the cable car was located, also claimed that the traction cable had snapped.
Luigi Vicinanza said: "The emergency brake downstream worked but clearly not the one on the cabin that was about to reach the top of the hill."
He also added that there had been regular safety checks on the cable car line.
Around 50 rescuers had been involved in the search to recover the cable car passengers.
Italian media had reported that the cable car had come to a halt and several people had been rescued from a second cabin
REUTERSSixteen passengers were helped out of a separate cable car that was stuck mid-air near the foot of the mountain following the incident.
The incident took place at a popular holiday point for tourists to look over Mount Vesuvius and the Bay of Naples.
The cable car accident also took place just a week after the destination reopened for the season.
In 2021, 14 people died in Italy when a cable car linking the northern Lake Maggiore.
