Pakistan cable car accident: All 8 stranded individuals including children saved in miracle rescue

All eight people, including children, were rescued by officials in Pakistan on Tuesday night (Aug 22) after they were left trapped900 feet mid-air in a cable car. The accident took place when a line snapped, causing the occupiers of the cable car to hang in balance for hours before a rescuebegan.

Earlier in the day, after having rescued four people,the Special Services Group (SSG) reportedly halted the helicopter rescue operation due to light and weather issues. However, a separate ground mission was initiated to rescue the remaining people. Under the mission, a small gondola was sent near the affected cable car using the same cable and people were rescued individually.

The gondola was also used to deliver food and other essential items to the cable car.

The chairlift was dangling in the middle of a deep ravine surrounded by towering mountains and a rocky surface, along with the Jhangri river beneath it, Pakistan's Dawn reported.

Earlier, Pakistan's armed forces began the rescue operation after local authorities failed to initiate the missions due to difficult terrain and a lack of resources.

Helicopters of Pakistan Army Aviation and Pakistan Air Force were earlier present at the site and were struggling to rescue the stranded persons.

How grave was the situation?

Gulfaraz, a 20-year-old who was earlier stuck on the chairlift, informed Pakistan's Geo News via phone that there was not even drinking water on board.

He mentioned that a 16-year-old passenger, who has a heart condition, had been unconscious for good three hours. Gulfraz explained that the teenager was en route to the hospital using the chairlift.

Gulfaraz said that the initial wire broke at 7 AM, followed by the breakdown of another cable shortly after. Since early morning, the passengers had been awaiting help.

Interim Prime Minister Anwarul Haq Kakar had directed authorities to rescue all individuals stuck on the chairlift. He urged national and provincial disaster management agencies to utilise available resources and enforce safety measures for cable cars in mountainous regions.

Watch:Video: Children trapped 900 ft mid-air in Pakistan, army rescue ops on

As per Zafar Iqbal, a local school teacher, approximately 150 students brave the perilous cable car journey to school daily due to the absence of road infrastructure in the region, as reported by the Dawn newspaper.

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