Kashmir Impulse Desk

Srinagar, May 25

Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha and Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Monday praised the rescue teams involved in evacuating hundreds of tourists stranded after a technical fault halted operations of the Gulmarg Gondola cable car service.

In a post on X, LG Sinha said the nation stood united in applauding the efforts of the rescue personnel who brought stranded passengers to safety after a six-hour operation in Gulmarg.

“The nation stands united in applauding the extraordinary bravery of disaster response teams who safely rescued tourists stranded mid-air in Gulmarg’s cable cars,” Sinha said.

He said personnel from the Indian Army, Jammu and Kashmir Police, State Disaster Response Force, National Disaster Response Force and district administration responded swiftly and ensured all passengers in 65 cable cars were evacuated safely.

Sinha said he had spoken to senior officials and directed them to provide all necessary support to those affected.

Chief Minister Omar Abdullah also commended the coordinated response by government agencies, police, rescue personnel and technical teams involved in the operation.

He praised the speed, coordination, and professionalism displayed during the evacuation, which ensured the safe rescue of all stranded tourists without any major incident.

“The safety and well-being of tourists and visitors remains the government’s priority,” Abdullah said, adding that all agencies worked efficiently to handle the emergency.

The chief minister said the incident would be thoroughly examined and an inquiry would be conducted into the technical fault that caused the suspension of the gondola service.

He said responsibility for any lapses would be fixed and appropriate action taken.

Earlier in the day, Deputy Chief Minister Surinder Kumar Choudhary visited Gulmarg on the chief minister’s instructions to oversee rescue operations after the temporary stoppage of the cable car service.

During the visit, Choudhary reviewed rescue measures on the ground and directed all concerned agencies to ensure swift, coordinated and safe evacuation of the remaining passengers.