Colorado, United States

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As many as 174 skiers and snowboarders in the US state of Colorado were rescued on Sunday (Dec 22) after a ski lift cracked, which forced the evacuations, American media reported.

The gondola lift at Winter Park Resort, about 113 kilometres west of Denver, automatically stopped when it detected the crack in a structural piece of the lift just after noon on Saturday, resort spokesperson Jen Miller told the news agency Associated Press. 

Miller said that people riding in the gondolas were lowered down by ropes over about five hours.

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No injuries reported

The Associated Press report said that no injuries were reported in the incident. The incident came at the beginning of the busy holiday ski season in the US.

Miller also said that Ski patrolers entered the cabin of each gondola from above and lowered people’s equipment to the ground before using a rope equipped with a seat to lower each of the 174 passengers to the ground.

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Workers were replacing the section of the lift that cracked Sunday as state regulators and the lift’s manufacturer worked with resort officials to investigate what caused the crack, she added.

Speaking to an American media outlet, the resort spokesperson said that the crack was part of the malfunction.

'Is everyone feeling good?'

Videos shared on social media shot by bystanders showed the lift at a standstill as the local ski patrol entered each cabin and used the ropes to lower passengers dozens of feet to the ground.

A video on TikTok showed the beginning of the incident when a resort employee called out to a cabin full of skiers and snowboarders from the ground to ask if anyone was injured.

Another video on the platform showed a ski patrol member asking the stranded passengers, "Is everyone feeling good?"

(With inputs from agencies)