A group of experts from the Special Services Group (SSG) of the Pakistan Army has been summoned to aid in the rescue of eight individuals, including six schoolchildren.
These individuals became stranded mid-air when the cable of a chairlift malfunctioned in Allai Tehsil within Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Battagram district on Tuesday.
Furthermore, an army helicopter has been dispatched to the location to carry out the rescue operation.
Pakistan Army Dispatches Team to Rescue Battagram Chairlift Passengers
“A chairlift became immobilized at an elevation of approximately 900 feet due to a cable breakage in Battagram. Eight individuals, among them six children, are currently stranded,” according to a statement from the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA).
The statement indicated that NDMA has offered coordination assistance to the Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA).
“After coordinating, a Pakistani Army helicopter has been deployed for the purpose of the rescue operation,” the statement continued.
This incident was verified by Tahir Ayub, the Deputy Inspector General of Police in Mansehra. He conveyed that the only viable solution for rescuing the stranded passengers is through a helicopter.
‘Passengers stranded for multiple hours’
Gulfaraz, a 20-year-old who is presently on the chairlift, conveyed to Geo News that he and fellow passengers have been stuck for over six hours.
He disclosed that a 16-year-old passenger, who has a heart ailment, has been unconscious for the last three hours. Gulfraz shared that the teenager was en route to the hospital via the chairlift.
“We lack even basic drinking water inside the chairlift,” he voiced his grievance.
Gulfaraz stated that the initial cable snapped at 7 am, followed by the breakdown of another cable shortly thereafter.
“The first cable gave way after the chairlift had traveled a mile,” the 20-year-old recounted, adding that the passengers have been awaiting assistance since early morning.
Gulfaraz affirmed that the chairlift holds a total of eight people, out of which six are students.
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The students’ ages range between 10 to 16 years old, as he disclosed in a conversation with Geo News.
Sonia Shamrose, the district police officer, stated to Geo News that exhaustive efforts are underway to rescue the individuals trapped in the chairlift.
Zafar Iqbal, an educator, reported that the students were utilizing the chairlift to commute to school.
“The chairlift serves as a means of transportation between two locations. In this region, 150 children use the chairlift to reach the school,” he affirmed, confirming that two cables of the chairlift snapped while the car was in mid-air.”