Eight Individuals Rescued from Precarious Cable Car Situation Above a Canyon in Pakistan

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On Tuesday, in a remote mountainous region of Pakistan, army commandos, with the aid of helicopters and an improvised chairlift, conducted a successful rescue of eight individuals trapped in a malfunctioning cable car. Suspended several hundred meters above a canyon, the cable car broke down in the Battagram district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, authorities have reported.

Earlier that day, six children and two adults were caught in the perilous situation when a cable gave way as they crossed a river canyon. The children were en route to their school at the time.

The nation’s caretaker Prime Minister, Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar, expressed his congratulations and relief to the military and other rescuers involved in the operation. This riveting endeavor held the attention of the entire country, as Pakistanis gathered around televisions in various public places, anxiously watching the progress.

Kakar, expressing his gratitude through X, the service previously recognized as Twitter, said, “Great teamwork by the military, rescue departments, district administration as well as the local people, all the kids have been successfully and safely rescued.”

As sunset approached, and helicopters were unable to continue flying, the rescue operation shifted to a more precarious approach. It involved utilizing the remaining intact cable to reach the stranded car with a chairlift.

The military, in a formal statement, highlighted the delicate nature of the operation, involving commandos, army and air force pilots, and local authorities’ support.

Television broadcasts displayed images of a child, securely harnessed, being pulled to safety, with the commandos’ ropes visibly swaying against the mountainous backdrop. Experts described the rescue as extremely fragile, as the wind from the helicopter blades could potentially weaken the remaining cables further.

Emotions ran high as the rescued children were returned to their families, with many overcome by tears, as described by Nazir Ahmed, a high-ranking police officer present at the rescue site. He recounted the jubilation and gratitude among villagers towards the rescuers once the operation was concluded.

State-run emergency service spokesperson Bilal Faizi disclosed that food and water were provided to those trapped earlier in the day. Pakistani TV stations reported that some of the trapped individuals stayed in contact with their families via cellphones, while the adults worked to comfort the children, aged between 11 and 15.

In Pakistan’s mountainous regions, villagers often rely on cable cars, which are frequently in poor condition, resulting in annual fatalities and injuries.

In response to the incident, Prime Minister Kakar ordered the inspection of the country’s cable cars and chairlifts for safety.

Helicopters were dispatched to attempt a rescue, but only after the group had remained suspended precariously 350 meters (1,150 feet) above the ground for six hours, according to Taimoor Khan, a spokesperson for the disaster management authority.

Retired army brigadier and defense expert Tipu Sultan warned of the helicopters’ potential risk, but acknowledged the commandos’ awareness of such dangers.

This incident evokes memories of a 2017 tragedy when ten individuals lost their lives as a cable car plummeted into a deep ravine in the popular mountain resort of Murree due to a broken cable.

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Reporting was conducted by Ahmed from Islamabad.

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