J-K: 286 tourists rescued in massive 6.5-hour Op after Gulmarg Gondola technical snag

A large-scale rescue operation at the Gulmarg Gondola concluded successfully on Monday after a technical malfunction left multiple cable car cabins stranded mid-air with tourists onboard. According to the Jammu and Kashmir Police, a total of 62 out of 65 cable cars were affected, while three were not in rotation. Of these, 52 cabins were occupied and 10 were empty at the time of the incident.

"Cable Cars Affected - 62/65 (3 not in rotation). Occupied 52. Parking 10. Cable Cars Evac from Phase 1 Side - 24. Persons evacuated - 148. Cable Cars Evac from Base Side - 22. Persons rescued - 138 (G Base). Total - 286. Gondola car evacuation in progress," the J&K Police said in an update on X. Director General of Police (DGP) Nalin Prabhat on Sunday said that a massive multi-agency rescue operation successfully evacuated stranded tourists after a technical snag developed in the Gulmarg Gondola.

"This incident occurred this afternoon. We received information around 1:20 pm that a technical snag had developed in the Gulmarg Gondola. The SHO of Gulmarg arrived at the scene with his full station staff and personnel from the SOG. Subsequently, 15 teams from the SDRF were rapidly mobilised...Furthermore, 8 teams from our regular police's Mountain Rescue Unit arrived, as did our specialised 'Snow Leopard' teams," he told reporters. He added that a large-scale rescue operation was launched involving a significant contingent of the Jammu and Kashmir Police.

"A massive rescue operation was launched here involving a very large contingent of the J&K Police. This rescue operation involved not only the Police and SDRF but also officers from the Indian Army's 9 Raj Rif (Rajputana Rifles), as well as the NDRF, which also arrived on the scene. Working in unison, everyone successfully evacuated the stranded tourists today," Prabhat added. GOC 19 Division Major General Manoj Joshi said the operation began around 2:00 PM and continued for nearly 6.5 hours under challenging weather conditions, including rain and hailstorms.

"The operation had been underway since 2:00 PM. There were around 65 cable cars trapped, from the entire base to Stage One. It lasted for about 6.5 hours. Everyone actually participated. There were SDRF and NDRF teams, Jammu and Kashmir Police teams, local pony riders, ATV teams, and the Indian Army team. A team from the High Altitude Warfare School was also here. They all worked together, working on about 6 to 7 cable cars simultaneously, and because of this, we were able to complete it before last light," he told reporters. Joshi added that tourists were repeatedly advised over megaphones to remain calm as teams executed the evacuation process in a phased manner. The last cabin was evacuated around 8:00 PM, officials said.

"The tourists, approximately 200-325, who were trapped inside the cable cars, needed to be evacuated. An announcement was made through a megaphone, asking them to remain calm and not to worry, as rescue efforts were underway. They also tolerated the delay, and it was good overall. We evacuated the last car around 8:00 PM, and all agencies worked together. According to the information we received, the main malfunction took place between 12:00 PM and 1:00 PM, and by the time this information came in, the rescue operation began at 2:00 PM. Although the weather was quite bad--there were a lot of hailstorms and heavy rain at times--and it was difficult, everyone showed great enthusiasm," he added. GOC 19 Division Major General Manoj Joshi said the malfunction was triggered after a gearbox failure led to the disruption of operations.

"We had received this information around 1:00 in the afternoon today that the Gondola had met with some malfunction and the gearbox of it had gone off-road. So that resulted in a little crisis situation here, with 65 cable cars from the base to phase one getting stuck midway," he said. Joshi further added, "There was a need to either repair it or get it rescued to be carried out... What we have done so far, as of now, by 1800 hours, we have been able to rescue, along with the other agencies, approximately 29 to 30 cable cars out of the 65; around 10 cable cars do not have any occupants. So around 25 cable cars are yet to be done... We are looking for another 5-6 hours of rescue to happen to finish the operation... We should be able to finish it by midnight."

However, officials confirmed that the evacuation was completed earlier with coordinated efforts from multiple agencies. Kashmir Zone Police stated that more than 200 stranded tourists were rescued with assistance from State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), Gulmarg Police, Special Operations Group (SOG), Snow Leopards, Jammu and Kashmir Armed Police, National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), and High Altitude Warfare School (HAWS) teams.

Chief Minister Omar Abdullah appreciated the efforts of all agencies, rescue teams and personnel involved in the successful evacuation of tourists stranded after the Gulmarg Gondola developed a technical fault. He commended the swift response, coordination and professionalism displayed during the rescue operation, which ensured the safe evacuation of all tourists.

The Chief Minister further stated that the incident will be thoroughly examined and an enquiry will be conducted. Responsibility for any lapses will be fixed, and appropriate action taken. The Office of the Chief Minister, Jammu and Kashmir, said Deputy Chief Minister Surinder Choudhary and local MLA Farooq Shah monitored the operation on the ground.

"On the instructions of the Chief Minister, Hon'ble Deputy Chief Minister @Surinderch55 is in Gulmarg personally overseeing the rescue operation following the temporary stoppage of the Gondola service due to a technical fault. The local MLA, Farooq Shah, JKNC, is also on site, monitoring the situation closely. The majority of the stranded cabins have already been cleared. All concerned agencies are fully engaged and every effort is being made to ensure the safe evacuation of the remaining stranded tourists. There is no cause for panic," they wrote on X. Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha also said he was monitoring the situation closely and had directed senior officials to the site.

"I'm monitoring the rescue operation for tourists stranded in cable car cabins following a technical fault in Gulmarg... Joint rescue team of Police, Army & SDRF & DC, SSP is conducting the operation to ensure the safety of all tourists," he said. Authorities confirmed that all stranded passengers were safely evacuated and no injuries were reported.

Meanwhile, the Office of the Lieutenant Governor of Jammu and Kashmir said that the administration is monitoring the rescue operation. "I'm monitoring the rescue operation for tourists stranded in cable car cabins following a technical fault in Gulmarg. I have directed 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," he wrote.

Further, authorities confirmed that all cabins remain intact and there is no report of any injury. (ANI)

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