Examiner News Desk | Srinagar:
Around 300 tourists stranded mid-air in 65 cabins of the Gulmarg Gondola after a technical malfunction on Monday were rescued safely following an arduous seven-hour operation involving multiple agencies, officials said. No casualties or injuries were reported in the incident.
The major rescue operation was launched soon after the ropeway system, regarded as Asia’s highest cable car service, developed technical problems around noon, forcing suspension of operations in both phases of the Gondola service.
Officials said the evacuation process was particularly challenging as several cabins were suspended at a height of nearly 500 feet above the ground. Persistent rainfall and adverse weather conditions further hampered rescue efforts.
“The rescue operation has concluded and all stranded persons have been evacuated safely,” an official said in the evening.
Personnel from the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), Jammu and Kashmir Police, civil administration and the Indian Army participated in the coordinated rescue mission.
Specially trained teams used ropes and ladders to safely evacuate tourists from the stranded cabins.
Authorities said restoration work on the cable car system is currently underway.
Earlier in the day, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah said the government was “closely monitoring” the situation.
“All cabins are intact and rescue operations to safely evacuate stranded tourists are underway with trained teams on the ground. The situation is completely under control and there is no cause for panic,” Abdullah said in a post on X.
Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha also said he was monitoring the situation and had directed Director General of Police Nalin Prabhat to proceed to Gulmarg to oversee the rescue operation.
“I’m monitoring the rescue operation for tourists stranded in cable car cabins following a technical fault in Gulmarg. Joint rescue teams of Police, Army and SDRF along with district administration are conducting the operation to ensure the safety of all tourists,” Sinha posted on X.
The Indian Army, assisted by the Chinar Corps, said swift and coordinated rescue efforts were launched immediately after the malfunction was reported.
The Gulmarg Gondola had previously witnessed a major accident on June 25, 2017, when seven people were killed after strong winds uprooted a tree that struck a cabin, causing it to crash to the ground.
The cable car service was also temporarily suspended in January last year due to technical issues.
