Nearly 300 tourists stranded mid-air as Gulmarg Gondola develops technical snag

Nearly 300 tourists, including men, women and children, were caught in a terrifying mid-air ordeal on Monday when the Gulmarg Gondola suddenly stopped due to a technical malfunction, forcing authorities to mount an urgent rescue mission involving Army, Police and disaster response teams.

At least 65 cable-cars remained hanging mid-air for several hours until the Chinar Corps of the Indian Army, SDRF Kashmir and J&K Police launched a joint operation to rescue the tourists.

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The mishap occurred when the popular cable car service, which transports visitors to the high-altitude meadows and ski slopes above Gulmarg in north Kashmir, suddenly stopped, leaving passengers trapped inside cabins suspended over rugged terrain. This is not the first time that a serious snag has occurred in the Gulmarg cable car system.

The Northern Command of the Indian Army wrote on X; “Large Scale Rescue Operations at Gulmarg Gondola by Trained Teams in Progress. Swift and coordinated rescue efforts by #ChinarCorps, #IndianArmy and #Gulmarg Gondola operators are underway after ropeway cabins got stranded mid-air. 65 cabins were stranded and till now 80 passengers from 16 cabins have been safely rescued. Rescue operations for the remaining cabins are in progress”.
Lt. Governor Manoj Sinha is personally monitoring the situation, said an official spokesman.

He said, “A joint rescue operation is currently underway in Gulmarg to ensure the safe evacuation of tourists stranded in cable car cabins following a technical malfunction earlier today. LG Manoj Sinha spoke to the Chief Secretary, Atal Dulloo and has directed the Director General of Police Nalin Prabhat to proceed to the site to oversee the rescue mission”.

In a post on X, the Lieutenant Governor said; “I’m monitoring the rescue operation for tourists stranded in cable car cabins following a technical fault in Gulmarg. I have directed the DGP to proceed to the site. Joint rescue team of Police, Army & SDRF & DC, SSP is conducting the operation to ensure the safety of all tourists”.
Meanwhile, the J&K Chief Minister also posted about the incident on X, assuring there is no cause for panic.

CM’s office wrote on X, “Government is closely monitoring the situation at the Gulmarg Gondola after the cable car service was temporarily halted due to a technical fault. All cabins remain intact and rescue operations to safely evacuate stranded tourists are underway with trained teams on the ground”.
It further said, “The situation is completely under control and there is no cause for panic”.

The Gulmarg Gondola, one of Asia’s highest cable car systems and a major attraction for domestic and international tourists, plays an important role in the Valley’s tourism economy. Authorities said a detailed inquiry would be conducted to ensure safety protocols are strengthened and to prevent future disruptions.