The famous Gulmarg Gondola cable car in Jammu and Kashmir was hit by a technical snag on Monday, stranding more than 300 tourists mid-air for hours in 65 cabins of Asia’s highest ropeway,prompting a massive, seven-hour multi-agency rescue operation.
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The operation ensured the evacuation of all the people, some of whom were trapped in cabins dangling nearly 500 ft above the ground, news agency PTI reported, quoting officials, who said that rescue efforts were hampered by heavy rain in the area.
Operations for both phases of the cable car service were immediately suspended following the glitch, which occurred around noon.
The 7-hour rescue operation
Teams from theNational Disaster Response Force (NDRF), the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), the Jammu and Kashmir Police, and the Indian Army’s Chinar Corps worked together, using ropes and ladders to bring the tourists down safely.
Jammu and Kashmir Director General of Police Nalin Prabhat was quoted by PTI as saying that the rescue team of the Cable Car Project, assisted by local people and personnel from the Gulmarg Police Station, were among the first responders.
“Later, a total of 15 teams from the SDRF and the Mountain Rescue force of armed police launched a big operation. They were assisted by the Indian army and NDRF, and we rescued all the stranded persons,” he said, adding that around 320 persons were evacuated from the hanging cabins of the cable car.
He said that while most stranded persons walked down, 45 persons who were not fit enough were carried on stretchers.
The whole operation lasted around 7 hours.
On the instructions of the chief ministerOmar Abdullah, deputy CM Surinder Kumar Choudhary, accompanied by local MLA Farooq Ahmed Shah, rushed to the tourist resort to oversee the rescue operation.
Officials told PTI that by late afternoon, 179 tourists had been brought down, with the remaining passengers safely evacuated in phases as teams cleared the cabins one by one.
“The rescue operation has concluded, and all the stranded persons have been evacuated safely,” DGP Prabhat told reporters in Gulmarg.
Kashmir Zone Inspector General of Police V K Birdi said it was a coordinated rescue operation.
Who said what
Union home ministerAmit Shah, Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Omar Abdullah, and Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha lauded the role of disaster response forces.
Abdullah said an investigation into the incident will be conducted, and action will be taken if any lapses are found.
In a post on X, the office of J&K chief minister said: “The incident will be thoroughly examined and an inquiry conducted. Responsibility for any lapses will be fixed and appropriate action taken.”
The office added, “He (CM) commended the swift response, coordination and professionalism displayed during the rescue operation, which ensured the safe evacuation of all tourists.”
Earlier, Abdullah said his government was “closely monitoring” the situation, and there was no cause for panic.
Amit Shah on X said, “Applause to India’s disaster response forces for safely rescuing 300 tourists stranded mid-air in cable cars in Gulmarg, Kashmir.”
He added, “The nation salutes the forces for their valour and skill.”
LG Manoj Sinha said he had directed the DGP to proceed to Gulmarg to oversee the rescue operation.
The lieutenant governor said the nation stands united in applauding the extraordinary bravery of disaster response teams. All holidayers were rescued safely, he said.
“I spoke with senior officials and directed them to ensure every necessary support is provided. The nation salutes the disaster response forces, the Army, JKP and the district administration for their valour and remarkable skill,” Sinha added.
The Army on X lauded the assistance of the Chinar Corps in a swift and coordinated rescue effort.
Earlier incidents
The Gulmarg Gondola is the highest cable car service in Asia. It has experienced technical halts in the past, including a temporary suspension in January last year.
A major tragedy occurred on June 25, 2017, when an uprooted tree struck a cabin during high winds, leading to a crash that claimed seven lives.
Monday’s incident comes a day after a 16-year-old boy died in Agra after a zipline cable snapped at an amusement facility, causing him to fall nearly 45 ft.
