Two wires of a cable car in Battagram’s Allai tehsil snapped on Tuesday morning leaving at least eight people, including schoolchildren and teachers stranded at over 600 feet mid-air.
The children, who have been stranded since 7am, were using the cable car to get to school in a mountainous area in Battagram, about 200 km (125 miles) north of Islamabad, officials said.
Meanwhile, a notice issued by the provincial authorities later in the day stated that the incident occured at the GHS Batangi Pashto spot over the Jangri Khwar stream.
Rescue efforts
According to the latest reports, a final helicopter rescue attempt was being carried as a last resort as a helicopter operation in the dark can be very risky and dangerous given the weather conditions and low daylight conditions as night time approaches.
Authorities have decided to continue the rescue operation from the ground with the help of the Pakistan Army so that the operation may be continued even in the dark of night.
Earlier today, the Hazara Division Commissioner’s Office reached out to the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), the Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) and the provincial government’s relief, rehabilitation and settlement department seeking a helicopter on urgent basis to initiate the rescue operation.
Following which, the PDMA too reached out to the NDMA director Islamabad and a helicopter was dispatched by the Pakistan Army to expedite the rescue operation. A second helicopter was sent by the military shortly after.
The first aircraft left after conducting a survey to assess the situation. With two out of three cables of the gondola broken, the situation is precarious, officials told Express News.
Around 20 SSG commandos were in one of the helicopters as they assessed the situation. Meanwhile, rescue workers on ground began the process of laying down nets to prepare for any mishaps.
During the first attempt, it was observed that, as the cable car is hanging by one wire, it is extremely sensitive to wind pressure. As the helicopter neared the cable car, the downwash generated by the aircraft caused the latter to shake and become unstable.
The cable car became stranded half way across a ravine and was dangling by a single cable after the other snapped, Shariq Riaz Khattak a rescue official at the site told Reuters.
“One child has fainted due to heat and fear,” Khattak said.
The rescue mission is complicated due to gusty winds in the area and the fact the helicopters’ rotor blades risk further destabilising the lift, he said.
The military helicopters were both hovering near the stranded cable car, he added.
One security official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said special services troops, trained in sling operations, are involved in this “extremely dangerous and risky operation”.
Sling operations are aerial operations where large loads are moved in geographically difficult terrains.
“All efforts are being made by Pakistan army to rescue the stranded people in the lift.”
People who live in the northern mountainous regions of Pakistan often use chair lifts for transport from one village to another.
Abdul Nasir Khan, a local resident, said the children were going to a high school in Batangai in Alai.
An update by the Pakistan Meteorogical Department (PMD) notified that while the weather is clear in Battagram area for the next three to four hours, it may be less than ideal by dusk. Rain is expected in the area tonight, according to PMD.
While awaiting rescue, one child reportedly fainted inside the cable car.
Read Tragedy strikes as 7 students drown in Balochistan
‘Expedite operation’
As news of the accident spread, higher ups from the provincial and federal interim governments issued directives to the relevant officials to speedy rescue.
“The chairlift accident in Battagram, KP is really alarming. I have directed the NDMA, PDMA and district authorities to urgently ensure safe rescue and evacuation of the 8 people stuck in the chairlift. I have also directed the authorities to conduct safety inspections of all such private chairlifts and ensure that they are safe to operate and use,” wrote Interim Prime Minister Anwaarul Haq Kakar on X, formerly Twitter.
The chairlift accident in Battagram, KP is really alarming. I have directed the NDMA, PDMA and district authorities to urgently ensure safe rescue and evacuation of the 8 people stuck in the chairlift.
I have also directed the authorities to conduct safety inspections of all such…
— Anwaar ul Haq Kakar (@anwaar_kakar) August 22, 2023
Caretaker Interior Minister Sarfaraz Ahmed Bugti has directed to speed up the rescue operation to save the children and teachers stranded in Battagram chairlift, reported state media.
Meanwhile, the NDMA has sought a safety audit from all provincial disaster management authorities on tourist infrastructure in their respective areas.
Source link: https://tribune.com.pk/story/2431952/army-aids-battagram-cable-car-rescue-efforts-after-eight-stranded-for-hours