A rescue operation was underway in Pakistan after a cable car carrying six children and two adults was left hanging by a single rope.
Officials say the car is “suspended by a single rope”, 274m (900ft) above ground in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province, a mountainous region in Northern Pakistan. The incident took place at 7am local time as passengers made their way school; the students are aged between 10 and 15 years old.
Two army helicopters have been scrambled to the scene and a Pakistani solider has been seen descending from one attempting to reach the car. However, efforts have been hampered by strong winds in the region.
The area has no road infrastructure and the use of cable car lifts is common. Pakistan’s Caretaker Prime Minister, Anwaar ul Haq Kakar, commenting on the incident has ordered “safety inspections of all such private chairlifts and ensure that they are safe to operate and use”.
The eight people stranded were successfully rescued after a ground operation 12 hours into the incident with the help of zip line experts.
