At least one person died and 40 were trapped mid-air after a dozen ropeway trolleys collided with each other on Trikut Hills in Jharkhand’s Deoghar district on Sunday late evening, ANI reported.
A rescue operation by the National Disaster Response Force and members of the Indo-Tibetan Border Police was underway to evacuate those stuck inside the trolleys. Eight people were rescued earlier in the day.
Two choppers of the Indian Air Force have also been called for assistance.
ITBP Public Relations Officer Vivek Pandey said people stuck inside the trolleys are safe.
“Of the 12 trolleys [stuck], eight people were rescued,” Pandey said, according to ANI. “About 40 people, who are still stuck, are safe...By late evening it is possible that we complete the rescue operation”
Deoghar Deputy Commissioner Manjunath Bhajantri said all efforts were being made to airlift those stranded.
“An NDRF team working since Sunday night had rescued 11 people. Locals, too, are helping with the rescue operation,” Bhajantri told PTI. “Ten people have sustained serious injuries in the incident, of which one of them died late last night.”
The official said that the ropeway was operated by a private company, whose officials ran away after the incident.
She said the accident occurred after a pulley of one of the trolleys got stuck midway. She added that water and refreshment were being provided to those stuck through a parallel ropeway, The Indian Express reported.
State Chief Minister Hemant Soren said that he has been reviewing the situation in Deoghar, ANI reported.
“We have sought help from NDRF [National Disaster Response Force], IAF [Indian Air Force], experts, commandos...Rescue efforts underway since early this morning.”
BJP leader of the Godda constituency Nishikant Dubey said that he had informed Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Jharkhand Chief Secretary Sukhdeo Singh, requesting them to deploy NDRF teams, NDTV reported.
According to the Jharkhand tourism department, the Trikut ropeway is India’s highest vertical ropeway with a maximum lens angle of 44 degrees. The 766-metre-long ropeway has a total of 25 cabins for tourists with a capacity of four persons each.
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