Murree, Pakistan – On Thursday, June 29, 2017 11 people were killed when a chairlift cable snapped in the tourist area of Murree about 30 km northeast of Islamabad, Pakistan.
According to Tribune.com.pk, 13 people were riding the lift when the cable snapped during strong winds. The riders plunged roughly 400-500 feet into a ravine. The victims included 9 men, 1 woman, and 1 child. At least two others were injured in the incident.
The locally-made lift stretched between two mountains and linked “Sharafani in Punjab and Banwari in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa”. Locals used the lift as it was the only form of transportation between the two mountainous areas (FirstPost.com).
Locals believe the failure was caused because the lift was overloaded. After the incident the lift operator fled the scene. Authorities arrested 3 people, including the owner and 2 chairlift operators, for “illegally operating cable cars” (Nation.com.pk). Authorities will look into how many other similar lifts are being operated in the region.
In June 2017, a gondola accident killed 7 in Gulmarg, India.
Read more about chairlift accident in Murree, Pakistan from the following sources:
- Nation.com.pk
- Tribune.com.pk
- Nation.com.pk
- Radio.gov.pk
- Rferl.org
- DunyaNews.tv
- FirstPost.com
- PakObserver.net
