Tourists stranded as Gulmarg Gondola service was hit by technical snag
By Tehelka Web Desk
A major tragedy was narrowly averted at the famous Gulmarg Gondola in north Kashmir on Monday after a technical snag forced the suspension of cable car operations while several cabins were still airborne, leaving nearly 300 tourists stranded mid-air for close to an hour.
Officials said the malfunction occurred during operations on the first phase of the gondola service, prompting authorities to immediately halt the system as a precautionary measure. Soon after, rescue teams launched an emergency operation to evacuate the stranded passengers safely.
Rescue personnel acted swiftly and managed to evacuate all tourists from the suspended cabins without any injuries. Authorities later confirmed that all passengers were safely escorted to their respective destinations.
Following the incident, gondola services on both the upward and downward routes were temporarily suspended until the technical fault is fully rectified. Officials said restoration work has already begun and services will resume only after detailed safety inspections are completed.
Authorities appealed to tourists not to panic and maintained that the situation remained under control throughout the rescue operation, with passenger safety being treated as the top priority.
Meanwhile, Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah also reacted to the incident through a post on X.
“Government is closely monitoring the situation at the Gulmarg Gondola after the cable car service was temporarily halted due to a technical fault. All cabins remain intact and rescue operations to safely evacuate stranded tourists are underway with trained teams on the ground. The situation is completely under control and there is no cause for panic,” CM Abdullah’s office posted on X.
