More than 300 tourists stranded mid-air inside the famous Gulmarg Gondola cable car system in Jammu and Kashmir were safely rescued after a massive seven-hour multi-agency operation involving the Indian Army, NDRF, SDRF, police, and local rescue teams. The dramatic rescue mission began after a technical fault halted Asia’s highest ropeway service, leaving tourists trapped inside 65 suspended cabins, some hanging nearly 500 feet above the ground.
The incident occurred around noon on Monday when both phases of the Gulmarg Gondola service suddenly stopped functioning because of a technical malfunction. Panic spread among tourists as cabins remained suspended high above the mountainous terrain amid heavy rain and poor weather conditions.
Rescue teams from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), Jammu and Kashmir Police, and the Indian Army’s Chinar Corps immediately launched a coordinated evacuation operation. Trained personnel used ropes, ladders, and specialised mountain rescue techniques to reach stranded passengers and bring them down safely one cabin at a time.
Officials said the operation was particularly challenging because several cabins were suspended at dangerous heights while continuous rainfall slowed rescue efforts. According to authorities, around 179 tourists had been evacuated by late afternoon, while the remaining passengers were rescued gradually as teams cleared the cabins in phases.
Jammu and Kashmir Director General of Police Nalin Prabhat said a total of around 320 people were eventually evacuated from the stranded gondola cabins. While most passengers were able to walk after being brought down, nearly 45 people, including elderly tourists and those physically exhausted, had to be carried on stretchers.
Chief Minister Omar Abdullah said the government was closely monitoring the situation throughout the operation and later announced that a formal inquiry would be conducted into the technical fault. He stated that responsibility would be fixed if any negligence or operational lapses were found.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah praised the rescue teams for their swift response and coordination. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh also lauded the efforts of the disaster response agencies and the Indian Army for ensuring that all tourists were evacuated safely without any casualties.
Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha said he personally monitored the rescue operation and directed senior police officials to supervise the situation on the ground. Deputy Chief Minister Surinder Kumar Choudhary and local MLA Farooq Ahmad Shah also visited Gulmarg to oversee coordination efforts.
The Gulmarg Gondola is one of Kashmir’s biggest tourist attractions and among the world’s highest cable car systems. The ropeway has faced technical suspensions in the past, including a temporary shutdown last year. In 2017, a major accident involving a falling tree caused a gondola cabin to crash, killing seven people.
Authorities have suspended gondola operations for technical maintenance and safety inspections following the latest incident. Officials said detailed examinations of the ropeway system would be carried out before services resume.
