Srinagar, May 25 (NVI): More than 320 tourists stranded in cable cars after a technical snag halted the Gulmarg Gondola service in Jammu and Kashmir were rescued safely on Monday evening following a massive multi-agency operation, officials said.
General Officer Commanding (GOC) 19 Division, Major General Manoj Joshi, said the rescue operation began around 2 pm and continued for nearly six-and-a-half hours amid adverse weather conditions, including hailstorms and heavy rain.
“There were around 65 cable cars trapped from the entire base to Stage One. Everyone participated in the rescue effort, including SDRF, NDRF, Jammu and Kashmir Police, local pony riders, ATV teams, the Indian Army and teams from the High Altitude Warfare School,” Maj Gen Joshi said.
He said rescue teams worked simultaneously on six to seven cable cars, which helped complete the evacuation before nightfall.
“The tourists trapped inside the cable cars needed to be evacuated. Announcements were made through megaphones asking them to remain calm as rescue efforts were underway,” he said.
According to officials, the malfunction occurred between noon and 1 pm, while the rescue operation formally commenced at 2 pm after the information was received by authorities.
Maj Gen Joshi said the last cable car was evacuated around 8 pm and all stranded tourists were brought to safety without any major incident.
Despite challenging weather conditions, all agencies involved in the operation displayed “great enthusiasm” and coordination, he added.(NVI)
