Srinagar :Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha on Sunday applauded the courage and swift response of disaster management teams, Army personnel, police and civil administration for safely rescuing around 300 tourists stranded mid-air after a technical snag halted the Gulmarg Gondola service.
In a post on X, the Lieutenant Governor said the nation stands united in appreciating the extraordinary bravery and professionalism displayed by the rescue teams during the challenging operation.
“The nation stands united in applauding extraordinary bravery of disaster response teams, who safely rescued 300 tourists stranded mid-air in Gulmarg’s cable cars. Army, JKP, SDRF, NDRF, DC, SSPs moved promptly and after a 6-hour operation, rescued all passengers from 65 cable cars,” the Lieutenant Governor posted.
He confirmed that all tourists were rescued safely and directed officials to ensure every possible assistance to those affected by the incident.
“All tourists are safe. I spoke with senior officials and directed them to ensure every necessary support is provided. The nation salutes the disaster response forces, Army, JKP and district administration for their valor and remarkable skill,” he added.
The rescue operation was launched immediately after the Gondola service developed a technical fault, leaving dozens of cable cars suspended mid-air. Teams from the Army, Jammu and Kashmir Police, State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), and district administration jointly carried out the operation amid difficult conditions.
Officials said all stranded passengers were evacuated safely after nearly six hours of coordinated rescue efforts. The incident triggered panic among tourists, but timely intervention by rescue agencies prevented any major mishap.
