Eleven people stranded in a cable car in Himachal Pradesh's Parwanoo on Monday following a technical fault were rescued in a six-hour operation, said officials.
Parwanoo Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Pranav Chauhan told PTI that the cable car carrying 11 tourists had stuck at a height of around 200-250 feet near a mountain peak.
He added, "That is why much difficulty was not faced in rescuing the passengers by sending them to the ground, one at a time, after tying a rope around each of them. A rescue cable car was deployed to get the people out."
He further said that the maximum height of the 1.8km ropeway is about 1,000 metres.
Initially, Solan SP Virender Sharma said another cable car trolley was deployed to rescue them and the technical team of the Timber Trail resort that operates the car has also been deployed. He added that a police team is monitoring the situation.
Visuals surfaced showing one person being brought down with the help of a rope and a harness.
Arun Goyal, one of the stranded persons, told India Today that they were stuck 500 feet above the ground since 10 am. He added that they were told that the only arrangement available is to bring them down via a rope and a harness.
Another stranded person said the second car sent by the operator, which is visible in videos that have surfaced, is meant for repair and it cannot rescue them. He added that a government official told them an NDRF team would be dispatched for their rescue.
Later, an NDRF team was dispatched for the rescue.
Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur, who reached the spot after getting information about the incident, talked to the rescued tourists. He told media that Union Home Minister Amit Shah talked to him twice over phone and sent an NDRF team to the spot, while an Air Force helicopter was also put on standby.
DSP Chauhan said an FIR is being registered against the owner of the cable car run by Timber Trail resorts. The FIR is being registered under sections 287 and 336 of Indian Penal Code on the statements of the rescued people, he said, adding that if required, more sections from other Acts might also be included in the FIR.
CM Thakur also said that the incident would be probed to determine if there was any negligence on the part of the private company running the timber trail.
(With PTI inputs)
