Cable Car Line Snaps in Pakistan, Trapping Children Inside as They Dangle Over Ravine

After a cable car line broke, seven students and one teacher were left stranded in a vehicle in Pakistan that was hanging 274 meters (900 feet) over a ravine. A risky helicopter rescue effort was being impeded by heavy winds, according to authorities who commented on Tuesday, August 22.

Children who were riding a gondola to school in a hilly district of Battagram, located approximately 200 kilometers (125 miles) north of Islamabad, had been stuck there since 7:00 AM local time, as reported by the authorities.

'Hanging on Single Cable'

(Photo by AFP) / CORRECTION)

UPDATE (CORRECTION FROM AFP): People watch as an army soldier slings down from a helicopter during a rescue mission to recover students stuck in a chairlift in Pashto village of mountainous Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, on August 22, 2023.

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According to Reuters, the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) of Pakistan issued a statement saying that the lift service's cable had broken and that two army helicopters had been sent out for a rescue mission after efforts to remedy the malfunction failed.

Shariq Riaz Khattak, a rescue officer at the scene, told Reuters that the gondola had been stuck about halfway over a ravine and was hanging on a single cable after the other rope had broken. Muzaffar Khan, a district administration officer in Battagram, confirmed there were seven pupils and one instructor on board.

A 20-year-old passenger named Gulfaraz called the local television station Geo News and said strong winds were hitting the cable car they were on, begging the authorities to come and rescue them as quickly as possible.

The other youngsters on board, he said, ranged in age from 10 to 15, with one 15-year-old passing out from nervousness. He said there was no drinking water available, too.

'Dangerous and Risky' Rescue Mission

Khattak said that the rescue attempt is made more difficult by the fact that the rotor blades of the helicopters risk further destabilizing the lift because of the strong winds in the vicinity. He said two military helicopters were circling close to the stalled cable vehicle.

An unnamed security source added that special services personnel experienced in sling operations were taking part in this "extremely dangerous and risky operation." When heavyweights need to be transported through rough terrain, sling operations are the way to go.

After reports of youngsters throwing up, rescue workers administered anti-nausea medicine, and the passengers were also given cardiac medication, according to CNN.

Pakistan's caretaker Prime Minister Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar has voiced his concerns online via X (formerly Twitter).

"The chairlift accident in Battagram, KP is really alarming. I have directed the NDMA, PDMA, and district authorities to urgently ensure safe rescue and evacuation of the 8 people stuck in the chairlift," he said in a tweet. "I have also directed the authorities to conduct safety inspections of all such private chairlifts and ensure that they are safe to operate and use."

Tags

Pakistan, Children