Rescuers save eight people trapped in cable car dangling above canyon in Pakistan
Published:Tuesday | August 22, 2023 | 3:13 PM
PESHAWAR, Pakistan (AP) — Army commandos using helicopters and a makeshift chairlift rescued eight people from a broken cable car as it dangled hundreds of metres above a canyon Tuesday in a remote, mountainous part of Pakistan, authorities said.
The six children and two adults became trapped earlier in the day when a cable snapped while they were crossing a river canyon in the Battagram district in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.
The children were on their way to school.
Caretaker Prime Minister Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar congratulated the military and other rescuers for the success.
The dramatic effort transfixed the country for hours as Pakistanis crowded around televisions in offices, shops, restaurants, and hospitals.
“Relieved to know that ... all the kids have been successfully and safely rescued,” Kakar said on X, the service formerly known as Twitter.
“Great teamwork by the military, rescue departments, district administration as well as the local people.”
Because helicopters could not fly after sunset, rescuers eventually shifted from an airborne effort to a risky operation that involved using one cable that was still intact to approach the car with the chairlift.
In a statement, the military said the rescue operation was delicate and involved the commandos, pilots from the army and air force and the support of local authorities.
Television footage showed a child in a harness being pulled to safety. The commandos' rope could be seen swaying in the wind against the mountainous landscape.
Follow The Gleaner on Twitter and Instagram @JamaicaGleaner and on Facebook @GleanerJamaica. Send us a message on WhatsApp at 1-876-499-0169 or email us at onlinefeedback@gleanerjm.com or editors@gleanerjm.com.