Sudden cable car suspension leaves tourists stranded mid-air as officials launch massive rescue mission.

Officials launched rescue and evacuation efforts after a technical problem disrupted cable car services. Several tourists remained stranded during the sudden suspension of operations amid harsh weather conditions before emergency teams safely carried out evacuation procedures. The incident took place in Gondola, in Gulmarg, in northern India's Jammu and Kashmir, on May 25. Visuals show that officials carried out a careful evacuation operation for tourists trapped mid-air after the suspension of cable car services. Rescue teams used ropes and safety equipment to bring stranded passengers down securely while emergency efforts continued under difficult weather conditions. According to reports, the Indian Army and State Disaster Response Force launched a large-scale rescue and evacuation operation at Gulmarg Gondola after a technical problem disrupted cable car services between the Base Station and Phase-1 at Kongdori on Monday. Several tourists remained stranded inside suspended cable cars amid difficult weather conditions following the sudden breakdown in operations. After receiving an emergency alert from Jammu and Kashmir Police and Gondola management authorities, the Indian Army immediately mobilised rescue teams to the affected area. Troops from the Butapathri Battalion deployed three Casualty Assistance Teams between the Base Station and Phase-1 to support evacuation efforts. The Army also positioned an All-Terrain Vehicle in the region to assist movement and rescue operations across challenging terrain during bad weather. The SDRF, Jammu and Kashmir Police and other civil agencies joined the operation to speed up evacuation procedures. Additional All-Terrain Vehicles were arranged through the Gulmarg ATV Association as restoration work on the Gondola system was expected to take considerable time. According to officials, 65 cable cars were affected by the technical malfunction. Rescue teams initially evacuated 14 cable cars from the Phase-1 side and safely rescued 76 tourists. Another 12 cable cars were cleared from the Base Station side, helping 72 more people reach safety. Officials later confirmed that rescue operations continued through the evening as teams worked under harsh conditions to evacuate remaining passengers. Maj Gen Manoj Joshi, General Officer Commanding of the 19 Infantry Division, shared further details regarding the ongoing operation. He stated that out of the 65 affected cable cars, 55 were occupied while 10 remained empty. By 18:30 hours, rescue personnel had successfully evacuated 32 cable cars. Updated figures released by authorities confirmed that 17 cable cars were evacuated from the Phase-1 side, leading to the rescue of 94 persons. Another 15 cable cars were evacuated from the Base Station side, where 90 passengers were safely brought down. In total, 184 stranded tourists were rescued through the coordinated efforts of the Indian Army, SDRF, Jammu and Kashmir Police and supporting agencies. Technical experts from the Gondola authority continue examining the exact cause and extent of the malfunction while rescue and assistance operations remain active in the area. We have sourced the footage from Sumit Bhargav, who has sourced it from the Jammu and Kashmir Police Department and the PRO wing of Indian Army. Restriction:Not Distributable in Germany.