Human error may have caused Val Thorens ski lift crash, says prosecutor
The crash injured eight workers, including two severely
At the time of the accident, the lift was being operated in ‘manual’ mode, which is less safe than the mode used when members of the public are using it
Jerome LABOUYRIE/Shutterstock
A ski lift crash in the ski station of Val Thorens in the French Alps, which seriously injured two workers, may have been caused by human error, the prosecutor has said.
On November 19 at 07:01, the téléphérique (large ski lift) la Cime Caron in Val Thorens (at 2,300m altitude in Savoie) collided with the arrival station at high speed. There were 16 workers in the lift at the time, of which eight were injured, and two severely.
Several people involved in the accident have also been given psychological treatment for shock.
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Human error suggested
Now, the prosecutor working on the case has suggested that human error could have been a cause, reports France 3.
“The accident could have been the result of human error,” said Anne Gaches, the Albertville public prosecutor, in a press release. “But this does not rule out other technical causes that investigations could determine.”
These are the initial findings of investigations already made by the gendarmerie and the Service technique des remontées mécaniques et des transports guidés (STRMTG) into the incident.
At the time of the accident, the lift was being operated in ‘site’ or ‘manual’ mode, which is less safe than the mode used when members of the public are using the téléphérique.
However, a representative from Val Thorens has said that the worker in charge of the controls at the time was “extremely experienced”, and was “very shocked” by the accident. He was looked after by the psychological unit following the crash.
Investigations are ongoing as part of a judicial inquiry, after the case was handed to the CRS Alpes, the Savoie Gendarmerie and the Chambéry Research Unit. An examining magistrate also began working on the case on November 21.
