Emergency teams rescued more than 300 tourists stranded mid-air on Monday after a technical fault halted the Gulmarg Gondola cable-car service [1].
The incident disrupted one of the region's primary tourist attractions and required a coordinated multi-agency response to ensure the safety of passengers suspended in cabins.
The technical snag occurred on May 25, 2026 [4], leaving passengers trapped in cabins at various heights. Reports indicate that more than 300 people were trapped inside the gondola cabins [1], while other estimates placed the number at nearly 300 [2].
A large-scale rescue operation was launched immediately to evacuate the stranded visitors. The State Disaster Response Force and the National Disaster Response Force led the efforts, working alongside the Indian Army, and the Jammu & Kashmir Police to bring tourists down safely [3].
Videos of the operation showed personnel from the Indian Army and the State Disaster Response Force assisting tourists during the evacuation [3]. The coordinated effort focused on safely transferring passengers from the halted cabins to the ground.
Following the rescue, authorities suspended the gondola service to allow for a full investigation into the cause of the technical failure [3]. Officials said they have not yet released a specific timeline for when the service will resume.
Local authorities in Gulmarg, Jammu & Kashmir, said the suspension would remain in place until the system is deemed safe for public use [1].
“More than 300 people were trapped inside gondola cabins”
This incident highlights the critical reliance of high-altitude tourism infrastructure on rigorous technical maintenance. The involvement of both civilian disaster response forces and the Indian Army underscores the complexity of mid-air evacuations in mountainous terrain, where standard emergency protocols are often insufficient without specialized military or rescue support.
