Kashmir cable car accident: At least seven people killed
- Published
The cable cars at Gulmarg offer spectacular views of the Himalayas
At least seven people have been killed in Indian-administered Kashmir when the wire supporting a cable car snapped in the high-altitude tourist resort of Gulmarg, officials say.
The cable car was sent crashing to the ground, killing everyone in it.
Scores of people are reported to be trapped in other cable cars amid high winds. A rescue operation continues.
The cable is reported to have snapped after a tree was blown over in the gales. The dead include two children.
The cable-cars at Gulmarg are among the highest in the world.
Officials say they are working hard to repair the damaged cable and get people stranded in 15 other cable cars safely back to ground.
Former Chief Minister Omar Abdullah alleged "carelessness" by the authorities.
"If this is what happened it begs the question as to why the cable car operations weren't suspended in high winds. That is a laid-down SOP [standard operating procedure]," soon after the accident.
The cable cars at Gulmarg transport passengers to a height of 4,100m (13,450ft) and provide scenic views of the Himalayas which remain snow-capped even at this time of the year.
- Published26 April 2017