Gulmarg: A deadly disaster was defeated and around 300 tourists were rescued midair after they got stranded for hours inside 65 cabins of the famous Gulmarg Gondola cable car following a major technical snag that halted Asia’s highest ropeway, causing panic among those in cabins and people all over the country.
Sources said that the Gondola developed a technical glitch, leaving hundreds of tourists hanging in the air.
Rescue teams of the cable car swung into action and were joined by other agencies and forces to ensure safety of the tourists trapped in cabins dangling nearly 500 ft above the ground, officials said.
Operations for both phases of the cable car service were immediately suspended following the glitch, which occurred around noon.
Despite heavy rains in the area, the rescue teams worked tirelessly and evacuated all the stranded tourists, officials said.
Besides rescue teams of cable car service, teams from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), the Jammu and Kashmir Police and the Indian Army’s Chinar Corps worked jointly for hours to complete the safe evacuation of all people, the officials said.
The trained teams used ropes and ladders to bring the tourists down safely and the officials confirmed that the rescue operation has concluded, and all the stranded persons have been evacuated safely.
Meanwhile, Gulmarg Gondola service will remain closed on May 26 and 27 for technical maintenance following Monday’s major disruption.
Both Lt Governor, Manoj Sinha and Chief Minister, Omar Abdullah were monitoring the rescue operation personally.
Sinha said he had directed DGP 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. I have directed the DGP to proceed to the site. Joint rescue teams of Police, Army and SDRF along with DC and SSP are conducting the operation to ensure the safety of all tourists,” Sinha posted on X.
Chief Minister Omar Abdullah said his 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,” the chief minister said in a post on X.
On the instructions of the chief minister, Deputy Chief Minister Surinder Kumar Choudhary, accompanied by local MLA Farooq Ahmed Shah and senior administrative officials, visited the tourist resort to oversee the ground coordination.
Officials said that since several cabins were hanging at a height of 500 ft, technical extraction protocols took considerable time.
The Army said in a post on X that swift and coordinated rescue efforts were launched with the assistance of the Chinar Corps.
The Gulmarg Gondola, one of the highest cable cars in Asia, 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.
HM Shah on X
“Applause to India’s disaster response forces for safely rescuing 300 tourists stranded mid-air in cable cars in Gulmarg, Kashmir. The disaster response teams comprising the SDRF, NDRF, Army personnel, local police, and the administration swung into action and rescued all the passengers stranded in 65 cable cars through a six-hour-long operation. The nation salutes the forces for their valour and skill”.
LG Sinha on X
“The nation stands united in applauding extraordinary bravery of disaster response teams, who safely rescued 300 tourists stranded mid-air in Gulmarg’s cable cars. Army, JKP, SDRF, NDRF, DC, SSPs moved promptly & after a 6-hour operation, rescued all passengers from 65 cable cars.
“All tourists are safe. I spoke with senior officials and directed them to ensure every necessary support is provided. The nation salutes the disaster response forces, Army, JKP and district administration for their valor and remarkable skill”.
CM orders probe in gondola malfunction
Chief Minister Omar Abdullah announced on Monday that an investigation will be conducted into the gondola malfunction in Gulmarg.
He assured that action would be taken if any lapses were found.
“The incident will be thoroughly examined and an enquiry conducted. Responsibility for any lapses will be fixed and appropriate action taken,” the office of chief minister said in a post on X.
The chief minister praised the efforts of all agencies, rescue teams, and personnel involved in the successful evacuation of tourists stranded.
“He commended the swift response, coordination and professionalism displayed during the rescue operation, which ensured the safe evacuation of all tourists,” the post read further.
