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[VIDEOS/PICTURES] All eight people rescued from cable car dangling above valley in Pakistan

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Pakistan cable car incident: Rescue under way for eight people trapped.

A rescue is under way in Pakistan for eight people - including six children - trapped in a cable car dangling over a valley in the country's north-west.

The children were making their way to school when one of the cables snapped, leaving the car hanging 274m (900 ft) above ground, officials said.

Pakistan's acting PM has ordered rescuers to attend the "really alarming" incident in Battagram.

Military helicopters have reached the car but the rescue's status is unclear.

The eight passengers were trapped for more than four hours before the first helicopter arrived, local media outlet Dawn.com reported. The incident happened at around 07:00 local time (02:00 GMT) on Tuesday.

"For God's sake help us," Gulfraz, a man stuck in the cable car, told Pakistan television channel Geo News by phone. He confirmed eight people were on board.

"The cable car is stuck in a place where it is almost impossible to help without a helicopter," Zulfiqar Khan, an official with Pakistan's 1122 rescue service, told AFP.

A local teacher told Dawn.com about 150 people take the hazardous journey to school by cable car daily because of a lack of transport options in the area.

BBC
 
May Allah keep everyone safe.

Chair lifts in Pakistan are dodgy. Anytime I go to Murree and use a chair lift, I am praying hard.
 
Bring back British rule they built some decent stuff at least (mangla Dam)

These cable cars would have had decent chains on em had the brits made it !
 
Latest television footage shows an SSG commando being lowered and positioned adjacent to the cable car.

Earlier, two helicopters belonging to the Pakistan Army and the Pakistan Air Force arrived at the site for a rescue operation. Two attempts were made to move towards the cable car. One of the helicopters has now moved away.

Meanwhile, a Dawn.com correspondent present at the site said the second backup helicopter that continued to hover above the cable car also left after a while. Later, he said, he could see a helicopter approaching the cable car with a “net”, but that too moved away.

The rescuer is suspended with a sling and approaches the affected site/person. He or she is tied with the rescuer or another sling is used to hoist the person. Meanwhile, the helicopter pilot and rescuer have to be cautious of the downdraft (air that is deflected towards the ground) that is generated by the chopper’s propellers.

Shariq Riaz Khattak, a rescue official, told Reuters that the rescue mission is complicated due to gusty winds in the area and the fact the helicopters’ rotor blades risk further destabilising the lift. Moreover, sunset in Battagram is expected at 6:48pm.

Similarly, Ghulamullah, chairman of the Allai valley area, told Geo News that “every time the helicopter lowered the rescuer closer to the chairlift, the wind from the helicopter would shake and disbalance the chairlift making the children scream in fear”.

Tanveerur Rehman, a local government official, explained to AFP that “this is a delicate operation that demands meticulous accuracy. The helicopter can not approach the chairlift closely, as its downwash (air pressure) might snap the sole chain supporting it”.

DAWN
 
  1. Rescuers are struggling to free six children and two adults trapped in a cable car dangling above a ravine in Pakistan
  2. A military commando has tried to reach the car twice while hanging from a helicopter, but strong winds are hindering the precarious operation
  3. The children, aged between 10 and 16, were going to school in Battagram when one of the cables snapped - leaving the car stuck 274m (900 ft) above ground
  4. A 16-year-old boy in the car has a heart condition and has been unconscious for at least two hours, an adult stuck in the car told the BBC
  5. They have been trapped for about 10 hours - and a local resident tells the AFP news agency the car is now "suspended by a single rope"
https://twitter.com/x/status/1693965316181676428
 
Two children rescued from dangling chairlift as SSG operation underway in Battagram
Helicopters of Army and Air Force are participating in the rescue operation along with the SSG troops
By Web Desk & Zarmeen ZehraAugust 22, 2023

Commandos of the Pakistan Army saved two out of eight people who have been stuck inside a chairlift for more than 10 hours after two of a cable of the chairlift broke down in Allai Tehsil in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa's Battagram district on Tuesday.

According to Rescue 1122, the rescue operation is underway to save the rest of the people inside the chairlift.

Helicopters of Pakistan Army Aviation and Pakistan Air Force are participating in the rescue operation along with the SSG troops.

Tahir Ayub, a regional police officer, confirmed the incident, stating there is "no option" but to rescue the stranded passengers through a helicopter.

According to Geo News, the chairlift started shaking as the Pakistan Army’s rescue helicopter approached it and there is a risk of the chairlift losing balance.

Other options to conduct the rescue operation, which is being deemed risky, were under consideration including a sling operation by the SSG team.

Wing Commander (retd) Asim Nawaz said the sling operation should be started at the earliest.

“There is a possibility of bad weather in this area. It is better if the helicopter is 60 to 80 feet away from the chairlift,” he said.

Speaking about the operation, the former military officer said that a commando will approach closer to the chairlift during the sling operation.

"A chairlift stuck at a height of about 900 ft midway due to breakage in one of its cable in Battagram. 8 persons including 6 children [are] stranded," the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) said in a statement.

The statement said NDMA has provided coordination support to Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA).

"After coordination Pak Army helicopter has been despatched for [the] rescue operation," it added.

Another kid becomes unconscious
Noor ul Hadi, an eyewitness, said that another kid has become unconscious .unconscioustaking the total number of people unconscious to three.

"The people surrounding the area are told to stay back. It is said that they will be rescued with a help of a rope," said Hadi, adding that the stranded people are yet to receive any food or water.

Initial report of incident
An initial report of the incident says that seven schoolchildren and a local person were travelling in the cable car to go to the Batangi Government High School.

According to the report, one cable of the lift broke at around 7:45am which led to the chairlift being stranded mid-air.

The chairlift hands at a height of 6,000 feet. Abrar, Irfan, Usama, Rizwan Ullah, Ataullah, Niaz Muhammad, Sher Nawaz and Gul Faraz are stuck inside the lift.

The report said that Battagram's deputy commissioner contacted Hazara's commissioner after he received report about the incident. The DC asked for the arrangement of a helicopter. Moreover, the SSG team based in Kaghan Valley was also contacted after which the helicopter reached the location at 11:45am. Meanwhile, the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) helicopter reached the site at 2pm.

District administration, police, and two rescue teams are currently present at the location, the report said, adding that an emergency has been imposed at the nearby health centres and the District Headquarter Hospital (DHQ) Battagram has also been put on high alert.

Punjab's DG Rescue Dr Rizwan Naseer said that a height rescue team is also on standby and is ready for help.

Army to ‘continue rescue operation till night’
According to Geo News, Army Aviation and SSG teams are once again trying to conduct the rescue operation.

The operation has become very difficult as there is another cable 30 feet above the chairlift which can collide with the helicopter.

However, the rescue operation is being conducted with extreme caution.

Moreover, the Pakistan Army is keeping into consideration other options to continue the rescue operation in case it becomes dark. The army will continue the rescue operation till night.

Speaking to Geo News, Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Nazeer Ahmed assured that the children inside the chairlift are fine. He said that they are in continuous contact with them.

The incident was confirmed by Mansehra Deputy Inspector General of Police Tahir Ayub who said there is no option but to rescue the stranded passengers through a copter.

The cable hangs in the middle of a deep ravine surrounded by stunning mountains, where cable cars are frequently used to connect remote villages and towns.

Syed Hammad Haider, a senior KP provincial official, said the cable car was hanging about 1,000 to 1,200 feet above the ground.

"We have requested the KP government to provide a helicopter because the relief activity is not possible without the help of a helicopter," he said.

One helicopter had already conducted surveillance and then returned, and another one would be sent shortly, he added.

According to Geo News, the chairlift started shaking as the Pakistan Army’s rescue helicopter approached it and there is a risk of the chairlift losing balance.

Other options to conduct the rescue operation, which is being deemed risky, were under consideration including a sling operation by the SSG team.

Wing Commander (retd) Asim Nawaz said the sling operation should be started at the earliest.

“There is a possibility of bad weather in this area. It is better if the helicopter is 60 to 80 feet away from the chairlift,” he said.

Speaking about the operation, the former military officer said that a commando will approach closer to the chairlift during the sling operation.

"A chairlift stuck at a height of about 900 ft midway due to breakage in one of its cable in Battagram. 8 persons including 6 children [are] stranded," the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) said in a statement.

The statement said NDMA has provided coordination support to Provincial Disaster Mangaement Authority (PDMA).

"After coordination Pak Army helicopter has been despatched for [the] rescue operation," it added.

The cable hangs in the middle of a deep ravine surrounded by stunning mountains, where cable cars are frequently used to connect remote villages and towns.

'Student with heart ailment unconscious for several hours'
Gulfaraz, a 20-year-old who is currently present on the chairlift, told Geo News via a phone call that he and other passengers have been stuck for more than six hours.

He shared that a 16-year-old passenger, who suffers from a heart condition, has been unconscious for the last three hours. Gulfraz shared that the teenager was going to the hospital through the chairlift.

“We don't even have drinking water in the chairlift,” he complained.

Gulfaraz said the first wire broke at 7am while another cable broke down soon after.

“The first cable broke down after the chairlift travelled a mile,” the 20-year-old said, adding that the passengers have been waiting for help since early morning.

Gulfaraz confirmed that there are eight people in the chairlift of which six are students.

The ages of students are between 10 to 16 years old, he said.

Chairlift located at 2,000 meters
According to details released by PDMA, the chairlift incident occurred at 8:30am in Pashto area of Battagram.

The chairlift is located at a height of about two thousand meters and passes through rainwater channel in the middle of the mountains, the PDMA added.

The children, who have been stranded, were using the chair lift to get to school in the mountainous area in Battagram.

Sonia Shamrose, the district police officer, told Geo News that all efforts were being made to rescue the people trapped in the chairlift.

Zafar Iqbal, a school teacher, said that the students were coming to the school by the chairlift.

“The chairlift is used to go from one place to another. In this area, 150 children come to school by chairlift,” he said, confirming that two wires of the cable car broke down mid-air.

'Alarming incident'
Caretaker Prime Minister Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar has termed the incident alarming, directing the National Disaster Management Authority and Provincial Disaster Management Authority 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," he added.


Before the rescue, a Pakistan Army helicopter is currently conducting reconnaissance before initiating the sling operation.

It is reported that two of the three chairlift cables have already broken, and the remaining wire can break due to the air pressure generated by the helicopter, which is why the rescue operation will be carried out in a very careful manner.

Earlier, Faisal Karim Kundi, a Pakistan Peoples Party leader, sought help requesting the interim premier, interim Chief Minister KP Muhammad Azam Khan and Information Minister Feroze Jamal to take immediate action.


'Risky affair'
A former pilot Syed Jawad told Geo News that the Pakistan Army Aviation is equipped to deal with the situation and has previously conducted rescue operations.

He added that the problem in today’s operation is that the Out of Ground Effect (OGE) will be conducted here, which is a very difficult process.

However, he added, that two of the military’s choppers are equipped to handle such an operation.

“The operation is conducted through the rope, which we refer to as sling operation,” he said.

Jawad said the passengers can be rescued by throwing the rope at the stranded passengers, so they could tie themselves with it and get pulled up slowly, while another way to rescue, he said, is through the hoist during which the passengers are pulled up through a seat which is descended into the affected carrier for them to sit in it.

The former pilot said that the weight of the passengers and chopper’s fuel while its hovers mid-air are crucial when assessing the rescue operation’s success.

“It can be a risky affair,” he added.
 
Efforts to rescue passengers trapped inside a cable car since early morning in Allai tehsil of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Battagram are continuing into the night with five children rescued so far.

This leaves three people inside the cable car dangling thousands of feet in the air above a ravine.

The number of rescued children was confirmed by the military’s media affairs wing around 9:45pm, more than 12 hours after the rescue operation began.
 
Everyone has been rescued. Brilliant work by all involved in the rescue effort.

Now please ensure nothing like this ever happens again.
 
Thank Allah that everyone is safe and sound. Now please fix the bloody cable cars.
 
Alhamdollilah everyone was saved.

Big up to the Army team real life superhero’s.

Now every single cable car or bridge made by Babu the mechanic needs inspecting.
 
mazkhan said:
Pakistan army to the rescue again

Balls of steel that commando deep ravine high winds and getting the job done.
Click to expand...
A job well done. The rescue of these kids was amazing, it's a shame that the same army that wonderfully saved these kids teachers, also kidnaps and kills its own.
 
Bewal Express said:
A job well done. The rescue of these kids was amazing, it's a shame that the same army that wonderfully saved these kids teachers, also kidnaps and kills its own.
Click to expand...
bro they didnt. The army took 8 hours to even act upon it. It was the locals.
 
infact army rescued 2 out of 8, after 8 hours. and took all the credit the rest were saved by locals
 
Cricket Warrior said:
If you have a source of it, so please claim it, else do not spread rumour.
Click to expand...
i do have a source and mentioned it.

it is not a rumor, you can go on facebook and twitter and find the videos of the locals that have told what happened. infact, you can even find the video of the people who saved them telling what actually happened.

Here is the link of the video, these were the people that did the actually saving
Here is the video : https://fb.watch/mAVILCTLJg/?mibextid=9R9pXO

DSP did not allow them at first, and after everything had failed and only 2 kids were rescued, the DSP than allowed these guys and they made a makeshift cart (can find images of it on social media) and saved the rest of the people.

Every propaganda page of the millitary on social media is claiming this as the success of the army. They are playing politics on this now.

Here you go, even the wall street journal also reported the actual thing
www.wsj.com

Pakistani Children Trapped in Cable Car Rescued in Midair Feat

Six schoolchildren and two adults were stranded in the air between two mountains after one of the car cables snapped.
www.wsj.com www.wsj.com

pak army saved 2 rest were saved by locals
 
The media censorship and the army propoganda has become soo much of a joke that the locals who actually saved the people has been hidden and everywhere it is being reported that Pak army's rescue mission has been completed

Here are more videos and images
www.facebook.com

Shehzad KhattakFacebook

www.facebook.com www.facebook.com
fb.watch

Very emotional scene 😢 Life is a series of unpredictable events. Rescue operation || Allai chair lift #battagram #allai #chairlift #newsUpdates | By Riaz Muhammad Khan - Facebook

Very emotional scene 😢 Life is a series of unpredictable events. Rescue operation || Allai chair lift #battagram #allai #chairlift #newsUpdates
fb.watch fb.watch
1692741543846.png
1692741472207.png
1692741555218.png
 

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It looks like the army did a good job, the locals are heroes but the political angle in the current climate dies not allow anyone but the army to be credited.
 
Due to high winds in the valley, it wasn't an easy task, but Alhamdolillah everyone was safely rescued.
 
Allah ka shukar. Lives saved.
It's always risky to go on such rides in Pakistan.
If I could, I would slap the 12 year old me for sitting twice in the ferris wheel ride.
 
BunnyRabbit said:
Allah ka shukar. Lives saved.
It's always risky to go on such rides in Pakistan.
If I could, I would slap the 12 year old me for sitting twice in the ferris wheel ride.
Click to expand...
Unfortunately, that was the only source for the river crossing.
 
BunnyRabbit said:
that sucks. Apart from a few cities, there has been very little investment in so many cities of Pak where even basic infrastructure is missing.
Click to expand...
Just goes to shownthe priorities of those in power. Ghisay way politicians.
 
Pakistan cable car: Relief as all passengers brought to safety

One of the children stuck in a cable car above a ravine in Pakistan has described the ordeal, saying he thought "it was my last day and it was over for me".

"When the chairlift was halfway there, its rope broke. It was dangling and I was terrified," Attaullah Shah said.

All eight people were eventually saved in an operation lasting over 12 hours.

A military chopper rescued one trapped child, while zip line experts recovered the rest of the group after dark.

The group had been on their way to school when two of the car's cables snapped.

It was left hanging precariously 274m (900ft) above the ground and in high winds.

"It was like doomsday for the area," said Fahim Udin Shah, the uncle of one of the rescued children.

"Everyone rushed out of their homes [to observe the operation]. A kid from almost every household was here," he added.

Pakistan's army said the rescue mission had been "extremely difficult and dangerous".

The incident happened at about 07:00 local time (02:00 GMT) on Tuesday near the city of Battagram in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.

Six children, aged between 10 and 16 years old, were trapped, along with two adults.

One of the children, a teenage boy, has a heart condition and was unconscious for several hours, an adult on board named Gulfaraz told local media.

A child also fainted due to "heat and fear", a rescue worker told Reuters news agency, although it was unclear if that was the same child.

What is Pakistan's homemade cable car system?
The cable car links the village of Jangri to Batangi, where the school is located.

The cable car is a popular and cheap mode of transport to get across the Allai valley - cutting a two-hour road journey through mountainous terrain to just four minutes.

When the cable suddenly snapped, the car was making its fifth trip of the day.

Residents used loudspeakers to alert officials to the crisis, but it took at least four hours for the first rescue helicopter to arrive at the remote location, local media outlet Dawn reported.

Anxious crowds, including relatives of those trapped, quickly gathered along the ravine, watching on as military helicopters battled against the strong winds to lower commandos to the stranded car.

Several early attempts to reach them failed, however some food and water was successfully delivered.

In addition to gusty winds, there were concerns that the helicopter's rotor blades could further destabilise the cable car, and as night set in the operation was suspended.

But rescuers continued their efforts with the help of zip line experts and local people on the ground.

Allai is a mountainous area, located at an altitude of 2000m above sea level. Settlements are spread far and wide and there is little infrastructure like roads and basic facilities.

In most of the area, makeshift chairlifts and cable cars are used regularly for transportation from one mountain to another.

The one involved in this incident is believed to be privately operated by residents, local media reported.

It remains unclear how the cables on the stranded cable car broke, but this mishap has drawn scrutiny to the makeshift cable car system widely used in Pakistan.

In most of the country's mountainous regions, makeshift chairlifts and cable cars are used regularly for transportation from one mountain to another.

For instance, in the Allai valley where Tuesday's incident occurred, settlements are spread far and wide and located up to 2000m above sea level. There is little infrastructure like roads and basic facilities.

Pakistan's acting prime minister Anwaar ul Haq Kakar has ordered all privately-operated chair-lifts to be inspected for safety.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Absolute shambles by the Pak authorites and army.

Glad the people are safe but this incident has summarised Pakistan in a nutshell, incompetence and embarrassing.

Well done to the local heros.
 
Two arrested in Battagram over alleged negligence in cable car incident

Police in the Allai tehsil of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Battagram on Wednesday arrested two people in connection to the cable car incident that left eight people stuck in the dangling vehicle for 14 hours before finally being rescued yesterday.

The incident sparked nationwide panic over the trapped individuals in the cable car. It received widespread TV coverage, showing the military leading the rescue with other authorities. Locals also joined the effort to assist in the passenger rescue.

The incident had occurred on Tuesday morning when six students and two locals were commuting on it.

They got stuck when two wires of the cable car snapped, Allai Assistant Commissioner (AC) Jawad Hussain had told Dawn.com, adding the cable car was privately run by locals for transportation across rivers as there were no roads or bridges in the area.

The cable car remained dangling in the middle of a deep ravine surrounded by towering mountains and a rocky surface along with the Jhangri river for hours.

After around 14 hours, the successful completion of the rescue operation was first confirmed in a statement issued by Rescue 1122 and later by the military’s media affairs wing.

In the latest development today, the Allai police apprehended both the cable car owner, Malik Gulzarin, and the operator, Ejaz. A first information report (FIR) has been lodged in connection with the incident.

According to the FIR, a copy of which is available with Dawn.com, the case was registered under sections 279 (rash driving or driving on a public way), 287 (negligent conduct with respect to machinery), 290 (punishment for public nuisance), 427 and 337H(2).

At approximately 7:50am on Tuesday, the police received a report about a cable car becoming stranded in the Bala area. Subsequently, police teams, including senior officers, arrived at the scene, the FIR reads.

The report indicated that the rescue operation involved volunteers from the Al-Khidmat Foundation, along with personnel from the Pakistan Army, Pakistan Air Force, and their commandos.

As per the details outlined in the FIR, the incident was attributed to the “negligence and carelessness” of both the cable car owner and operator.

Furthermore, the FIR noted that substandard rope had been employed for the cable car, with no alternatives available. “This reckless choice was deemed a perilous attempt that endangered the lives of passengers involved.”

The report also mentioned that the chairlift operators had been instructed beforehand to provide a fitness certificate for the cable to a nearby police station, but they neglected to do so.

“This negligence endangered the lives of eight people, causing them emotional distress and resulting in a loss for the government,” the FIR added.

Speaking to Dawn.com today, AC Hussain said a complete inspection of the site was in progress.

He added that charges would be formally brought before the court once all necessary legal procedures were completed.

Later, he told Dawn.com that he had formed an inspection committee comprising a sub-divisional officer from the Allai Communication and Works Department, a tehsil officer for infrastructure from the Allai tehsil municipal administration, the Allai tehsildar, the Allai Rescue 1122 in-charge and an assistant sub-inspector from the Allai police.

He claimed that this team was mandated by the chief secretary’s office to conduct visits and inspect the cable cars around the tehsil, adding that fitness and quality inspections on technical grounds would be carried out by the team.

Hussain said poor-quality cable cars would be sealed and not allowed to operate in the area till their degradation.

Meanwhile, Senator Talha Mahmood also visited the area to meet the rescued people and their families.
 
Well done to all those involved in this rescue and shame on those trying to claim credit for the rescue when they had nothing to do with it.
 
Should not have happened in the first place, but nevertheless a fantastic human effort by all concerned to rescue the unfortunate passengers.
 
As soon as the camera are turned off, the local admin go back to doing nothing and the peole get treated like crap. DAWN is reporting that one of the lads had to walk an hour after being rescued. But who is surprised? It's the same old same old.
 
8 people rescued from cable car in KP’s Battagram not given medical aid, claims local activist.

Eight people rescued on Tuesday from a dangling cable car, which got stuck mid-air due to snapped wires in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Battagram’s Allai tehsil, have reportedly not received any medical assistance to assess their health condition, it emerged today.

The incident sparked nationwide panic over the trapped individuals in the cable car. It received widespread TV coverage, showing the military leading the rescue with other authorities. Locals had also joined the effort to assist in the passenger rescue.

The incident had occurred on Tuesday morning when six students and two locals were commuting on it.

They got stuck when two wires of the cable car snapped, Allai Assistant Commissioner (AC) Jawad Hussain had told Dawn.com, adding the cable car was privately run by locals for transportation across rivers as there were no roads or bridges in the area. The two involved in running the cable car operations were also arrested yesterday.

Dawn
 
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