Hundreds of people were left trapped in midair on Monday due to a mechanical issue with the Gulmarg Gondola, the cable car service that transports visitors to the upper reaches of the tourist hotspot.
Army forces were called into action, and rescue operations were in progress. The Army reported that 286 individuals have been rescued from 59 of the 65 cabins that were trapped along the lines. The Army stated that "rescue operations for the remaining cabins are in progress."
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Chief Minister Omar Abdullah said that all cabins are still intact and that trained professionals are on the ground conducting rescue operations to safely evacuate stranded visitors, attributing the situation to a "technical glitch." He declared, "There is no reason to panic; the situation is totally under control."
To guarantee the safe evacuation of the stranded visitors, teams from the J&K Police, SDRF, and other emergency services have also been mobilized. DGP Nalin Prabhat was instructed to go to the location by Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha.
Update Rescue Ops | #GulmargGondola | 07:15PM
— NORTHERN COMMAND - INDIAN ARMY (@NorthernComd_IA) May 25, 2026
As of now,
total 286 persons have been rescued from 59 Cabins.
Rescue operations by trained teams continue for balance six cabins. All passengers are safe and the situation is under control. #NationFirst#AlwaysInCombat@adgpi… pic.twitter.com/dVF0Rb7mFa
Gondola reservations are made weeks in advance for Gulmarg, a well-liked tourist site that welcomes thousands of people annually. From base to about 14,000 feet at Apharwat Peak, the cable car travels in two stages.
Monday's incident is not, however, something new, as technical issues have occasionally caused the ropeway service to stop. Due to these problems, hundreds of visitors have been left stuck in midair in the past, too, necessitating lengthy rescue efforts by the army, police, and SDRF to safely return everyone to the base station.
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On June 25, 2017, a big pine tree that had been uprooted by severe winds toppled across the ropeway, causing the most significant tragedy involving the Gulmarg Gondola. A cabin fell 100 feet after the impact broke the line and smashed it. Seven people died in the collision, including three native Kashmiri guides and a family of four from Delhi.
Currently being managed by Jammu & Kashmir State Cable Car Corporation and operating since 1998, the Gulmarg Gondola's second level was finished and inaugurated on May 28, 2005. The French firm and the government of J&K collaborated to create one of the longest and tallest cable cars in Asia.
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