The crash of a maintenance gondola in the Zillertal valley in western Austria Thursday killed one workman and injured two others critically. The accident happened during an accident recovery drill, Austria's ORF radio reported. The maintenance gondola, occupied by three local workers, was moving uphill during a technical drill when it suddenly fell 40 metres into steep terrain 100 metres before reaching the first pylon, dpa reported. A 29-year old workman was killed immediately, and his colleagues were were severely injured but were meanwhile out of immediate danger. They suffered heavy injuries to the head and legs. The Penkenbahn cable car had been closed that morning, company manager Josef Geisler said. The cause of the accident was under investigation by the local authorities, but this was difficult owing to the almost inaccessible location of the site. "We don't know what happened and why, and we have to wait for the experts' results," Geisler said.
