Srinagar, May 25: Rescue operations continued late into Monday evening at the Gulmarg Gondola after a major technical fault left hundreds of tourists stranded in cable car cabins at the famous ski resort in north Kashmir’s Baramulla district.
Officials told that 151 tourists have so far been rescued safely, while tourists trapped in around 25 cabins are yet to be evacuated.
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Authorities said it may take another four hours to complete the rescue operation and clear all stranded passengers from the cable car system.
Army personnel, Jammu and Kashmir Police, Civil Administration and disaster response teams are jointly carrying out the large-scale evacuation operation.
Deputy Chief Minister Suriender Chodhary, Director General of Police (DGP) Nalin Prabhat, Special Director General of Police (DGP) Syed Javid Mujtaba Geelani, IG Kashmir, Maj Genreal Manoj Punit (HAWS), DIG North and central Kashmir range, Deputy Commissioner Baramulla, Fakhar-Ud-Din Hamid, SSp Baramulla other senior police officials and other civil administration officers are present at the site and monitoring the rescue efforts.
Sources at the spot told news agency Kashmir Dot Com that the Gondola system had experienced a glitch on Sunday as well, but operations resumed on Monday. Sources said mandatory Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) and technical safety protocols were not followed before the cable car service was restarted on Monday after a reported glitch a day earlier.
Meanwhile, concerns were also raised over the absence of Managing Director, Cable Car Corporation, Syed Qamar Sajjad, who is presently Director Tourism Kashmir and holding additional charge as MD Cable Car Corporation.
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The exact cause behind Monday’s technical fault is yet to be investigated. Officials said restoration work is underway alongside rescue efforts, while authorities maintained that the situation remains under control. (KDC)
