5-year-old Eitan Biran who was the sole survivor of the deadly cable car crash in the Italian mountains is out of intensive care and has spoken to his aunt who has been by his side ever since the tragedy in which he lost his parents, his brother, and his great-grandparents took place.
The Times of Israel reports that Eitan was told that he had been asleep for a few days and that he is asking for his parents.
Eitan’s condition was critical as he suffered multiple injuries including broken bones. Luckily, he didn’t suffer any neurological injuries despite hurting his head. According to the doctors who treat him, Eitan only managed to survive all thanks to his father’s embrace. “In order to be able to survive the terrible impact, it is likely that the father, who was of robust build, wrapped his son in a hug,” the Regina Margherita Hospital in Turin said, as cited by Italian la Repubblica newspaper.
#Italy: Israeli boy Eitan Biran survived the horrific cable car crash that killed his parents, younger brother and two great-grandparents. The five-year-old remains in critical condition in a #Turin hospital pic.twitter.com/0lPtTmzDig
— i24NEWS English (@i24NEWS_EN) May 24, 2021
The investigation regarding the crash is still ongoing. So far, the Italian police have arrested three senior managers from the cable car operating company. Allegedly, they deliberately deactivated the emergency that should have prevented the cable car from falling backwards when the cable snapped, as per The Guardian.
According to The Times of Israel, the boy’s family, his father Amit Biran, 30, his mother Tal Peleg-Biran, 26, his younger brother Tom Biran,2, and his great-grand parents Barbara and Yitzhak Cohen, 71 and 81, who traveled to Italy because of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, have all been buried in Israel.
Italy’s 🇮🇹 Transport Minister Enrico Giovannini vowed to establish the cause of the #cable car disaster, which occurred after the lead cable apparently snapped and the cabin careened back down the mountain. https://t.co/zqkoRFQTGl
— i24NEWS English (@i24NEWS_EN) May 25, 2021
The Biran family resided in Italy.
Three Italian families offered to adopt Eitan and the Italian Jewish organizations have gathered together to help the boy.
Among the other victims of the horrific tragedy was a 40-year-old doctor who had been on the front-lines of the COVID-19 pandemic and her boyfriend.
Engaged couple Silvia Malnati 27, and Alessandro Merlo, 29, who had taken the trip to celebrate Silvia getting her economics degree were also killed in the crash.
Israeli boy, 5, is sole survivor of horrific Italy cable car crash.
Eitan Biran is recovering in hospital with multiple broken bones after the tragedy that killed five other members of his family. https://t.co/hwHT1oU9mS
— Jewish News (@JewishNewsUK) May 24, 2021
“I express the condolences of the whole Government to the families of the victims, with special thought for the seriously injured children and their families,” Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi said in a statement.
Our hearts go out to the grieving families of the victims.