Strong Winds Hinder Efforts to Rescue Trapped Children and Teachers Above Ravine
Eight individuals – six children and two teachers – found themselves trapped on a chairlift suspended 274 meters (900 feet) above a ravine in Pakistan, following the snapping of a cable. Unfortunately, efforts to execute a helicopter rescue operation were hindered by strong winds, according to officials.
The children, who have been marooned since 7 am local time (0200 BST), had been utilizing the chairlift as a means of transportation to their school situated in a mountainous region near Battagram, approximately 125 miles to the north of Islamabad.
Appealing for assistance, Gulfraz, one of the adults confined in the cable car, shared via a phone call with Pakistan’s Geo News channel, confirming the presence of eight occupants onboard. He lamented the situation, stating, “We have been suspended in mid-air for nearly five hours. The conditions have deteriorated to the extent that one individual has already lost consciousness. A helicopter arrived but departed without executing any rescue operations.”
Pakistan’s National Disaster Management Authority conveyed through a statement that a cable had fractured, prompting the dispatch of an army helicopter after attempts to rectify the issue proved futile.
The open chairlift became stranded midway over a ravine, supported solely by a single cable after the other cable gave way, revealed Shariq Riaz Khattak, a rescue official at the scene, as reported by Reuters.
The rescue operation was rendered intricate due to the turbulent winds in the vicinity, and the risk that the helicopter’s rotor blades might further destabilize the suspended lift, he explained.
Concerned crowds amassed on either side of the ravine, situated several hours away from the nearest major town. Television broadcasts featured imagery of a Pakistan army helicopter circling near the gondola suspended above the deep ravine, encompassed by lush green mountains. One helicopter conducted surveillance before returning, with another slated for dispatch soon, officials affirmed.
Zulfiqar Khan, an official from Pakistan’s 1122 rescue service, remarked, “The cable car is stranded in a location where intervention without a helicopter is nearly impossible,” in an interaction with Agence France-Presse.
Residents of the northern mountainous areas of Pakistan frequently rely on chairlifts for intra-village transportation.
Pakistan’s caretaker prime minister, Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar, expressed his apprehension on Twitter, writing, “I have also instructed authorities to conduct safety assessments on all private chairlifts and ensure their operational and usage safety.”
