Ruptly
"More than 300 tourists trapped in mid-air after a technical malfunction halted the Gulmarg Gondola in north Kashmir were rescued safely following a major operation. Footage captured on Tuesday shows the suspended cabins of the Gulmarg Gondola, one of the world’s highest cable car systems and a major tourist attraction in Kashmir, after it suddenly became stuck on Monday during routine service, leaving passengers stranded in cabins suspended above mountainous terrain. Authorities said around 320 tourists, including children and elderly passengers, were trapped for several hours as rescue workers battled strong winds, rain and low temperatures to evacuate them safely. "The passengers were rescued by the cable car rescue teams, with support from various other rescue agencies that provided logistical assistance and helped evacuate the tourists from the mid-air cabins," said Riyaz Malik, General Manager of the Cable Car Corporation. "The rescue operation was successful, and all the tourists were evacuated safely without any injuries," he added. The operation lasted more than six hours as specially trained rescue teams used ropes, emergency communication systems and climbing equipment to reach cabins positioned at varying heights across the gondola route. "Our first priority was to evacuate the tourists safely because they were our guests who had come to Kashmir to visit and enjoy the region," said Fayaz Ahmad Bhat, Assistant Manager of the Cable Car Corporation. "Soon after the incident occurred, we launched the vertical rescue operation along with our professionally trained rescue teams, and we successfully rescued all the stranded passengers safely," he said. All-terrain vehicle operators also assisted in transporting rescued passengers from difficult terrain to safer locations."
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