On 22 August 2023, in the Allai valley near the city of Battagram in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan, a cable car used by local residents for daily commuting to school became the centre of a rescue operation after one of its cables snapped, leaving six children and two adults stranded approximately 274 meters (900 feet) above the ground.[1] All individuals were later rescued that day.
 Still from drone footage of the cable car | |
| Date | 22 August 2023 |
|---|---|
| Duration | 14 hours |
| Location | Battagram, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan |
| Cause | Cable snap |
| Participants | 6 children and 2 adults |
| Outcome | All passengers rescued |
Background
editThe cable car was a chair lift, similar to many others used in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan.[2] It was a vital mode of transportation for residents of the region. It drastically reduced the travel time between a village and the local school from a two-hour road journey to a four-minute ride on the cable car.[3]
The cable car was built by a local resident with permission from the city administration. Such makeshift arrangements are common in mountainous regions of Pakistan. While this particular cable car had no previous issues, there have been widespread issues regarding makeshift cable cars in Pakistan, which have led to injury and deaths.[3][4][5]
Incident
editThe incident unfolded at around 07:00 local time (02:00 GMT) when one or more of the cables supporting the chair-lift gave way, causing it to hang precariously by only one cable.[6][7] This situation left the passengers in a state of distress and dire need of rescue.[6] Among the stranded passengers was a 16-year-old boy with a heart condition who had lost consciousness for several hours. His condition added an urgency to the rescue efforts.[6]
Rescue efforts
editThe rescue efforts faced several challenges. Strong winds in the region and concerns about the helicopter's rotor blades potentially destabilising the chair-lift complicated the mission.[8] Local residents who spotted the stranded cable car used loudspeakers to alert authorities, prompting the initiation of the rescue mission. Anxious crowds gathered on both sides of the valley to watch the unfolding rescue operation, including supplies being given. Parents of the trapped children anxiously waited at the site.[6][7]
After a risk assessment, the plan was to airlift the individuals.[9] Military helicopters arrived to rescue the stranded individuals.[2] Up to four military helicopters were used after initial attempts to fix the faults were unsuccessful.[9] Two children were airlift rescued, but as night approached, the helicopters had to land. Other rescue methods were deployed.[6] Muhammad Ali Swati, a person with zipline expertise, was asked by the military to help. He used zipline equipment to move the remaining children and the two adults along the cable car cable to the ground.[10][11]
Later that day, Pakistan's caretaker prime minister Anwaar ul Haq Kakar announced that everyone was rescued.[12][13][14][15][16][17]
References
edit- ^ Khan, Haq Nawaz; Bisset, Victoria; Hussain, Shaiq. "Pakistan saves two of 6 children stuck in cable car 900 feet in air". The Washington Post. Retrieved 22 August 2023.
- ^ a b "Pakistan cable car: From panic to relief, survivors recall harrowing ordeal". BBC News. 26 August 2023. Retrieved 28 August 2023.
- ^ a b "What is Pakistan's homemade cable car system?". BBC News. 22 August 2023. Retrieved 22 August 2023.
- ^ "All 8 people rescued from cable car dangling hundreds of feet above canyon in Pakistan, officials say". CBS News. Associated Press. 22 August 2023. Retrieved 22 August 2023.
- ^ Uddin, Salah; Greenfield, Charlotte (August 27, 2023). "Stranded cable car highlights Pakistan school accessibility crisis". Reuters. Retrieved 10 February 2024.
- ^ a b c d e Khan, Zubair. "Pakistan cable car: All safe following precarious rescue". BBC News. Retrieved 22 August 2023.
- ^ a b Masood, Salman; Goldbaum, Christina; ur-Rehman, Zia (22 August 2023). "All Passengers Rescued From Dangling Cable Car in Pakistan". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 22 August 2023. Retrieved 22 August 2023.
- ^ "Pakistan: All eight people rescued from broken cable car dangling 274m above canyon". Sky News. 22 August 2023. Retrieved 22 August 2023.
- ^ a b Janjua, Haroon (22 August 2023). "Pakistan cable car: all children and adults saved after 15 hours". The Times. Archived from the original on 22 August 2023. Retrieved 22 August 2023.
- ^ "بچے انتہائی ڈرے ہوئے تھے، دلاسہ دے کر پر سکون کیا: ریسکیور علی سواتی". Independent Urdu (in Urdu). 2023-08-23. Retrieved 2024-08-22.
- ^ Lateef, Samaan (2023-08-23). "Zipline thrill-seeker flown in to help rescue children in Pakistan cable car". The Telegraph. ISSN 0307-1235. Retrieved 2024-08-22.
- ^ "Battagram cable car: All eight rescued in hours-long operation". The Express Tribune. 22 August 2023. Retrieved 22 August 2023.
- ^ "7 students and teacher trapped in cable car 900 feet above ravine in Pakistan have all been rescued". NBC News. 22 August 2023. Retrieved 22 August 2023.
- ^ Shabbir, Saima (22 August 2023). "Army concludes operation after saving all citizens on chairlift above deep Pakistan valley". Arab News. Retrieved 22 August 2023.
- ^ Ali, Mushtaq; Shahzad, Asif; Peshimam, Gibran Naiyyar; Shahzad, Asif (22 August 2023). "Pakistan cable car ordeal ends with all on board, mostly children, rescued". Reuters. Retrieved 22 August 2023.
- ^ Latif, Aamir (September 1, 2023). "Pakistan cable car rescue hero hails courage of survivors". Anadolu Agency. Retrieved 10 February 2024.
- ^ Baber, Hamayoun (10 September 2023). "Viral: What Really Happened in Allai?". Dawn. Retrieved 10 February 2024.