About 75 tourists were stuck in one of the world’s highest cable cars in Quito. They were all trapped inside this cable car for 10 long hours. The lowest station is located at an elevation of 3,100 metres above sea level, and the cable car spans a distance of 2.5 kilometres (1.5 miles) between the two destinations. Here is what exactly happened.
75 People Were Stuck In One Of World’s Highest Cable Car
Así es el rescate de las personas atrapadas en el #Teleférico de #Quito . Más de 70 quedaron suspendidas y ya han pasado cerca de 7 horas desde que se reportó la falla técnica. pic.twitter.com/3aArsuTwLN
— Metro Ecuador (@MetroEcuador) July 7, 2023
The system became paralysed as a result of an electrical issue, trapping the guests for “nearly 10 hours”.
Following an operation combining firefighters and the police, 75 people were lowered to the ground, all of whom were described as “safe and sound,” according to a statement from the municipality of Quito.
According to the statement, 48 individuals stranded at the system’s highest terminus, which is located at an elevation of about 4,000 metres (13,120 feet), were rescued.
After the system was restarted, another 10 people fell to the ground, and another 17 were saved from gondolas stalled in the queue.
People Were Wrapped In Emergency Blankets And Taken To Secure Locations
Súper @pabelml, eso quería Quito, un alcalde presente en todas partes!
En esta madrugada acompañando directamente el operativo de rescate de ciudadanos en Teleférico! https://t.co/VTIKEuHZia
— Virgilio Hernández E (@virgiliohernand) July 7, 2023
People are seen being abseiled to safety from the cable car in a video posted to the municipality’s Twitter account. After their cabins return to the ground safely, more people, including children, are seen coming out. They are wrapped in emergency blankets.
The city mayor was present while rescue operations continued through Thursday night, as seen in photos issued by the authorities in Quito. Pabel Muoz, the mayor of Quito, stated that neither hypothermia nor injuries were evident in the rescued individuals.
Additionally, he gave the directive to halt cable car service while inquiries are being made. The municipality also stated that those who had been saved were being sent to a secure location for medical evaluations. (As per Hindustan Times)
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First Published: July 08, 2023 12:13 PM