Fourteen people, including at least one child, have been killed and another child is seriously injured after a cable car fell on a mountain in northern Italy today.

The accident occurred near the resort town of Stresa, which lies on the shores of Lake Maggiore in the Piedmont region.

It’s reported the car plunged 20 meters to the ground after its line snapped near the top of the mountain.

Officials said two survivors, children aged about five and nine, were airlifted from the scene to a hospital in Turin but the older child later died.

The younger was conscious upon arrival and was undergoing surgery for multiple fractures, the hospital said.

All the other victims were declared dead at the scene, with the death toll steadily rising as the wreckage is searched.

Image:  Piedmont Regional Helicopter Rescue Service via Getty Images