Terrifying chairlift incident in Italian Alps amid peak Easter tourism

Passengers on a chairlift in the Italian Alps were subjected to terrifying moments as strong winds began to shake the chairs they were seated in, capturing the tense scene in a widely shared video.

The incident occurred in Breuil-Cervinia, a ski resort nestled in the northwestern part of Italy, within the Aosta Valley region of the Pennine Alps, sitting at an altitude of 6,581 feet.

A video that made its way online shows the chairs being swayed violently back and forth by the powerful gusts. Local media report that the wind speeds reached up to about 62 mph during the ordeal.

The lift operator explained that they had initiated the process of closing the lift due to the escalating bad weather, but the last passengers couldn't be evacuated before the arrival of the strongest gusts.

Thankfully, the evacuation was carried out smoothly, and aside from the initial fright, there were no reported injuries. The lift has been temporarily closed following the event, leading to the shutdown of other cable lifts in the vicinity.

Tourism in Italy Peaks for Easter

During the Easter period, Italy sees more than 7 million overnight stays, data from the Italian Center for Tourism Studies reveals.

A significant portion of these bookings comes from international visitors. Rome, in particular, expects to welcome more than a million tourists.

Destinations such as the Amalfi Coast and Bologna are also popular among foreign visitors. The latter reports that 80 percent of its hotel capacity has been booked, with Turin experiencing similarly high occupancy rates.