Indian rescue teams evacuated between 300 [1] and 320 [3] people after a ropeway cable snapped in Gulmarg, Jammu & Kashmir, in July 2024.
The incident highlighted the extreme risks associated with high-altitude tourist infrastructure and the necessity of coordinated emergency responses in rugged terrain.
The malfunction left 65 cable cars [3] suspended in the air, with some cabins dangling nearly 500 feet [4] above the ground. Passengers were trapped in the cabins as the cable failure halted the system, leaving them stranded over the valley.
A joint operation was launched to retrieve the passengers. The effort involved the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), Jammu & Kashmir police, the Indian Army, and civil administration [1, 2].
Rescue teams worked for seven hours [1] to reach the stranded passengers. The operation required precision maneuvers to safely extract individuals from the high-altitude cabins and transport them to safety.
The coordination between military and civilian agencies allowed for the successful evacuation of all passengers from the 65 affected cars [3]. No casualties were reported during the seven-hour [1] operation.
“65 cable cars were left suspended in the air”
This incident underscores the critical importance of rigorous maintenance and safety audits for cable car systems in high-tourism mountain regions. The reliance on a multi-agency response—combining military assets with specialized disaster forces—demonstrates that the geographic isolation of Gulmarg requires a high level of state readiness to prevent mass-casualty events during mechanical failures.
