Pakistan: Six children among eight stuck midair after chairlift cable snaps in Battagram, rescue operation ongoing

A rescue effort is currently underway in Pakistan's Battagram district where eight people, including six school children, are currently trapped in a chairlift dangling 900 feet over a mountainous region.

Students trapped midair after cable of chairlift snaps. Photo Courtesy: Twitter video grab

An Army helicopter has reached the spot to carry out the rescue operation.

"A chairlift stuck at a height of about 900 ft midway due to breakage in one of its cable in Battagram. Eight persons including 6 children stranded," the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) said in a statement as quoted by Geo News.

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

Gulfaraz, a 20-year-old who is currently present on the chairlift, told Geo News 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 said the teenager was going to the hospital through the chairlift.

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

The first wire of the vehicle snapped at 7 am and the other followed it soon.

“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.

The ages of the stranded people are between 10 to 16 years old.

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 told the news channel, confirming that two wires of the cable car broke down mid-air.

Caretaker Prime Minister Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar reacted to the incident and described it as 'alarming'.

"The chairlift accident in Battagram, KP is really alarming. I have directed the NDMA, PDMA and district authorities 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 tweeted.