BATTAGRAM: A chairlift carrying schoolchildren got stuck midair on Tuesday morning after its rope broke down in Battagram, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
The chairlift got stuck midair at around 900 feet on the mountain after its rope snapped at around 7 AM near village Pashto Jhangri in Tehsil Allai.
Eight schoolchildren and their teachers were left dangling midair for several hours after the incident occurred. The children stuck in a chairlift started screaming but no one came to rescue them.
After several hours, Rescue 1122 teams reached the spot but could not commence operations. Rescue sources said a helicopter is needed to rescue the stranded people. The area residents volunteered to take in the rescue operations.
Caretaker Chief Minister Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Muhammad Azam Khan took notice of the matter. He contacted the Chief Secretary and issued directives to take measures on an emergency basis to safely rescue the trapped people.
The chief minister said all available resources should be utilized to rescue them. A Pakistan Army helicopter is being deployed to rescue them. The district administration later said that rescue teams from the PDMA are being sent.
The chairlift accident in Battagram, KP is really alarming. I have directed the NDMA, PDMA and district authorities to urgently ensure safe rescue and evacuation of the 8 people stuck in the chairlift.
I have also directed the authorities to conduct safety inspections of all such…— Anwaar ul Haq Kakar (@anwaar_kakar) August 22, 2023
Caretaker Prime Minister Anwaarul Haq also took notice and said the chairlift accident is “really alarming”. The prime minister said he has directed the NDMA, PDMA and district authorities to urgently ensure safe rescue and evacuation of the eight people stuck in the chairlift.
Thr prime minster also directed the authorities to conduct safety inspections of all such private chairlifts and ensure that they are safe to operate and use.
