Srinagar, May 25, KDC: Hundreds of tourists were stranded aboard the Gulmarg Gondola, at the famous ski resort in north Kashmir’s Baramulla district following a technical fault in the cable car system, officials said.
Officials told news agency Kashmir Dot Com that the incident triggered a large-scale rescue operation after tourists riding the cable car remained stranded inside cabins. Rescue teams comprising the Civil Administration, State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), Jammu and Kashmir Police and Army personnel were immediately mobilised to safely evacuate the stranded tourists.
Deputy Commissioner (DC) Baramulla, Fakhar-Ud-Din Hamid, is also present at the site and overseeing the rescue operation along with senior police and civil administration officials.
Authorities said rescue teams have been safely evacuating stranded tourists from the cabins, while restoration work on the cable car system is simultaneously underway.
An official monitoring the rescue operation at the site told news agency Kashmir Dot Com that the situation was under control and all stranded tourists were being evacuated safely.
“Teams have been deployed and rescue operations are progressing smoothly. It may take another few hours to evacuate all tourists,” the official said, adding that the exact cause of the technical fault will be investigated.
Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha said he was personally monitoring 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 district officials are conducting the operation to ensure the safety of all tourists,” the Lieutenant Governor said in a post on X.
Director General of Police (DGP) Nalin Prabhat has also reached the site and is monitoring the rescue operation.
Meanwhile, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah said the government was closely monitoring the situation and assured that there was no cause for concern.
“Government is closely monitoring the situation at the Gulmarg Gondola after the cable car service was temporarily halted due to a technical fault. All cabins remain intact and rescue operations to safely evacuate stranded tourists are underway with trained teams on the ground,” the Chief Minister said in a post on X.
“The situation is completely under control and there is no cause for panic,” he added. (KDC)
