Battagram Cable Car Accident: All 8 Stranded Rescued
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BATTAGRAM – Pakistan Army Rescuers Successfully Retrieve All Eight Individuals Trapped in Cable Car
After hours of effort in Allai tehsil of Battagram, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, rescuers from the Pakistan Army have successfully freed all eight people who were trapped in a cable car. The rescue operation involved airlifting the children via helicopter in a sling operation to a safe location where they are now receiving medical attention to address their trauma.
Read more : Rescue Mission: Dramatic Efforts Bring Trapped Cable Car Passengers to Safety
Despite challenging weather conditions, officials are committed to continuing the operation until all individuals are safely rescued.
The incident occurred around 8 am when students and two residents were en route to school. One of the children reportedly fainted due to fear. Two of the three cables supporting the cable car snapped, leaving residents and students stranded around 3,000 feet above the ground. The height of the cable car has posed significant challenges for senior officials of the local administration and the rescuers.
Gulfaraz (20), one of the stranded individuals on the chairlift, shared in an interview with a private TV channel that they had been stuck for more than six hours. The first cable broke at 7 am, followed by the breakdown of another cable.
Gulfaraz expressed concerns about the lack of drinking water on the chairlift.
He confirmed that there were eight people on the chairlift, including six students aged between 10 to 16 years old.
Read more : Chairlift Carrying Children Stuck in Mid Air In KP’s Battagram
Zafar Iqbal, a school teacher, explained that the chairlift is a common mode of transportation for students in the area.
Caretaker Prime Minister Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar termed the incident alarming and directed the National Disaster Management Authority and Provincial Disaster Management Authority to ensure the swift and safe rescue and evacuation of the stranded individuals.
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
The National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) described the incident in a statement, noting that a chairlift had become stuck at a height of about 900 ft due to cable breakage in Battagram. The NDMA provided coordination support to the Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) and dispatched a Pakistan Army helicopter for the rescue operation.
