Tourists rescued after Gulmarg Gondola snag leaves cabins hanging mid-air

More than 300 tourists stranded mid-air inside dozens of cabins on the Gulmarg Gondola — one of Asia’s highest cable car systems — were rescued after a massive seven-hour operation involving the army, disaster response forces and Jammu and Kashmir Police.

The terrifying ordeal began around noon when a major technical snag brought the ropeway to a halt, leaving holidayers trapped inside 65 cabins, some dangling nearly 500 feet above the ground amid heavy rain and poor weather conditions.

Officials said panic spread among tourists as operations for both phases of the cable car service were immediately suspended.

Rescue teams from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), Jammu and Kashmir Police, and the Army’s Chinar Corps launched a coordinated operation using ropes, ladders and stretchers to evacuate stranded passengers one cabin at a time.

“The rescue operation has concluded and all the stranded persons have been evacuated safely,” director general of police Nalin Prabhat told reporters in Gulmarg.

Prabhat said nearly 320 people were rescued from the suspended cabins.

“While most stranded persons walked down, 45 persons who were not fit enough were carried on stretchers,” he said.

According to officials, local residents, personnel from Gulmarg Police Station and the cable car project’s rescue team were among the first responders before larger rescue teams joined the operation.

By late afternoon, 179 tourists had already been evacuated, while the remaining passengers were brought down in phases as teams carefully cleared each cabin despite continuous rainfall.

Kashmir Zone inspector general of police V.K. Birdi described the operation as a “coordinated rescue effort” involving multiple agencies.

Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Omar Abdullah said the government was “closely monitoring” the situation and assured that there was no reason for panic.

The chief minister later announced a formal inquiry into the incident.

“The incident will be thoroughly examined and an inquiry conducted. Responsibility for any lapses will be fixed and appropriate action taken,” the chief minister’s office said in a post on X.

The office added that Abdullah had “commended the swift response, coordination and professionalism displayed during the rescue operation”.

Union Home minister Amit Shah praised the rescue teams for safely evacuating all stranded tourists.

“Applause to India’s disaster response forces for safely rescuing 300 tourists stranded mid-air in cable cars in Gulmarg, Kashmir,” Shah posted on X.

“The nation salutes the forces for their valour and skill,” he added.

Lieutenant governor Manoj Sinha said he had directed senior officials, including the DGP, to oversee rescue efforts at the tourist destination.

“The nation stands united in applauding the extraordinary bravery of disaster response teams,” Sinha said, lauding the army, police and district administration.

The Indian Army also praised the Chinar Corps for its role in the “swift and coordinated rescue effort.”

The Gulmarg Gondola has witnessed technical disruptions in the past. In January last year, services were temporarily suspended following another operational issue.

A major tragedy struck the ropeway on 25 June 2017, when strong winds uprooted a tree that crashed into a cabin, killing seven people.

Monday’s incident also came just a day after a 16-year-old boy died in Agra when a zipline cable snapped at an amusement facility, causing him to fall nearly 45 feet.

With PTI inputs