The officials said that evacuation from some cabins took longer as these were hovering at a height of nearly 500 ft above ground. Heavy rains in the area also hampered efforts.
AMN
The rescue operation in Gulmarg in Jammu and Kashmir, to rescue around 300 stranded tourists concluded and all the people have been evacuated safely.
The Indian Army and the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) led the operation at the Gulmarg Gondola following a technical malfunction in the gondola cable car system. The fault caused a sudden suspension of services between the base station and Phase-I, leaving several tourists stranded today. In a statement, the Indian Army said that following a distress call from local authorities, rescue teams were swiftly mobilised to the site. Troops from the Butapathri Battalion deployed three Casualty Assistance Teams along the route, while an All-Terrain Vehicle was also pressed into service to assist evacuation efforts in the difficult terrain.
According to the Indian Army, a total of 65 cable cars were affected due to a technical malfunction.
Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj 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 & SDRF along with DC and SSP are conducting the operation to ensure the safety of all tourists,” Sinha posted on X.
The Army said in a post on X that swift and coordinated rescue efforts were launched with the assistance of the Chinar Corps.
On June 25, 2017, the Gulmarg Gondola had witnessed an accident when seven people were killed after a tree uprooted by strong winds struck a cabin, causing it to crash to the ground.