Kashmir Impulse Desk

Baramulla, May 25

More than 300 tourists were rescued on Monday after a technical fault brought the Gulmarg Gondola cable car service to a halt, leaving passengers stranded mid-air above the popular ski resort in north Kashmir, officials said.

The malfunction disrupted operations between the base station and Kongdori, or Phase I, of the gondola system, forcing the suspension of services on both phases and triggering panic among tourists.

A large-scale rescue operation involving the Indian Army, Jammu and Kashmir Police, the State Disaster Response Force, National Disaster Response Force, and local civil administration was launched shortly after the snag was reported.

Officials said around 320 tourists were evacuated safely from suspended cable cars during the operation.

Deputy Chief Minister Surinder Kumar Choudhary, Director General of Police Nalin Prabhat, and senior army officers reached the site to oversee the rescue efforts.

“All the people stranded mid-air have been evacuated safely,” Choudhary told reporters in Gulmarg. He said several agencies, including the army, police, SDRF teams and local guides, worked together to bring passengers down from the cabins.

He said some passengers who were physically exhausted or unable to walk were evacuated using stretchers.

Director General of Police Nalin Prabhat said the first responders reached the site soon after authorities received information about the breakdown, with specialised mountain rescue teams later joining the operation despite difficult weather conditions.

“It has been raining heavily here, but all the tourists have been brought down safely,” he said.

According to army officials, the incident was reported around 12:45 p.m. after a gearbox fault caused nearly 65 cable cars operating between the base station and Phase I to stop.

Major General Manoj Joshi, General Officer Commanding of the 19 Infantry Division, said rescue teams coordinated with the cable car corporation and district administration while maintaining communication with stranded passengers through megaphones to calm fears.

“There was some panic initially, but regular communication helped reassure the passengers,” he said.

Temporary relief centres were set up near the site, where rescued tourists were provided refreshments before being escorted back towards Gulmarg.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah praised the rescue teams for evacuating the stranded passengers safely.

Chief Minister Omar Abdullah said his government was closely monitoring the situation and ordered an inquiry into the incident.

“The incident will be thoroughly examined. Responsibility for any lapses will be fixed and appropriate action taken,” Abdullah said in a post on X.

Authorities said the Gulmarg Gondola service will remain suspended on May 26 and 27 for technical inspection and maintenance before operations resume.

Officials also said tickets booked for May 25, 26, and 27 would be refunded.