Gulmarg Gondola hangs in mid air after technical snag; nearly 300 tourists rescued

Srinagar: Hundreds of tourists were safely rescued on Monday after the Gulmarg Gondola cable car service in north Kashmir’s Baramulla district developed a technical snag, forcing suspension of operations and leaving passengers stranded mid-air for several hours, officials said.

They said nearly 300 tourists were trapped inside cabins of the Gulmarg Gondola after the cable car system abruptly stopped functioning due to a technical fault. Rescue teams comprising personnel from the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), Jammu and Kashmir Police, Army and civil administration launched a massive evacuation operation.

The malfunction affected both phases of the gondola service, one of Kashmir’s biggest tourist attractions. Authorities said all cabins remained stable during the incident and no injuries were reported.

Chief Minister Omar Abdullah said the government was closely monitoring the situation and assured tourists that there was “no cause for panic”.

“Rescue operations to safely evacuate stranded tourists are underway with trained teams on the ground. The situation is completely under control,” the Chief Minister’s office said in a statement.

Officials said technical experts were pressed into service to identify the fault and restore operations of the gondola system.

Eyewitness said panic gripped tourists, including women and children, after the cable cars stopped mid-air, but rescue teams managed to evacuate all passengers safely.

Located about 52 kilometres from Srinagar, Gulmarg is one of India’s premier ski resorts and a major tourist destination known for its snow-covered slopes, pine forests and meadows.

The resort, situated at an altitude of around 2,650 metres above sea level, attracts lakhs of tourists annually during both winter and summer seasons.

Built by French company Pomagalski and operated by the Jammu and Kashmir Cable Car Corporation, the Gulmarg Gondola is regarded as one of the highest and longest cable car projects in the world. The two-phase ropeway ferries tourists from Gulmarg to Kongdori and further to the slopes of Apharwat Peak at a height of nearly 3,950 metres to 4,200 metres.

Built by French company Pomagalski and operated by J&K Cable Car Corporation, the Gulmarg Gondola is regarded as one of the highest and longest cable car projects in the world.

The two-phase ropeway ferries tourists from Gulmarg to Kongdori at an altitude of around 3,080 metres and further to the slopes of Apharwat Peak at nearly 3,950 to 4,200 metres, offering panoramic views of snow-clad Himalayan ranges and areas along the Line of Control on clear days.

The gondola remains a major attraction for skiing, snowboarding and other winter sports activities in Kashmir.

The incident also revived memories of a deadly accident involving the Gulmarg Gondola in June 2017, when seven persons, including four tourists from Delhi, were killed after a tree uprooted by strong winds fell on the ropeway, causing a cable car cabin to crash. Several others had remained stranded mid-air for hours before being rescued.