Authorities suggest gondola may have been illegal

An aerial lift which plummeted 20 metres to the ground on Friday, killing one person on board and injuring four others, may have been operated without a permit, the authorities suggest. On Monday, investigators will look into records at city hall in Špindleruv Mlýn to see if the lift was legally registered and approved and whether it fulfilled technical requirements. Without a permit, the owner of a the mountain cottage Bumbálka could face a fine of up to 10 million crowns. The question of why anyone was on board at all - when the gondola was designed only for transporting baggage, skis and ski equipment - has also not yet been answered. According to some reports, people using the lift in the area may have been common practice.