Srinagar: A rescue operation launched after a technical snag halted the Gulmarg Gondola service on Monday concluded successfully, with all stranded tourists evacuated safely, officials said.
Officials told news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO) that around 400 tourists were stranded mid-air after the cable car service developed a technical fault, forcing suspension of operations at the famous ski resort in north Kashmir’s Baramulla district.
Soon after the incident, rescue teams comprising personnel from the Army, Jammu and Kashmir Police, SDRF and the civil administration rushed to the spot and launched a large-scale evacuation operation.
Senior officials, including Nalin Prabhat and V. K. Birdi, reached Gulmarg to oversee the rescue efforts.
Army officials, including Punit Doval, Manoj Dattatrey Joshi, M. B. Singh and S. K. Yadav, also monitored the operation on the ground.
Eyewitnesses said several tourists, including women and children, panicked after the gondola stopped abruptly mid-air. However, officials said the evacuation was carried out in a coordinated manner and all tourists were brought to safety without any injuries.—(KNO)
