The owner of a cable car left hanging over a ravine in Pakistan triggering a 12-hour rescue mission has been arrested.
Gul Zareen was detained by Pakistani place on multiple charges, including endangering valuable lives and negligence.
All eight people onboard were eventually taken to safety after an initial attempt using helicopters failed. A complex system of zip lines was used to finally reach the stranded passengers.
The car was making its fifth trip of the day, transporting passengers to school, when two of the cables snapped leaving it hanging 900ft above the ground in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, in the north of the country. It remains unclear how the cables broke.
The use of cable cars is common across Pakistan, particularly in mountainous regions like the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, where the harsh terrain is not conducive for roads. They transport residents from one mountain to another and move goods between communities. Local media has reported that the car is privately operated by the residents.
Anwaar ul Haq Kakar, Pakistan’s acting Prime Minister, has since ordered all privately operated chair-lifts to undergo safety inspections.
