At least 10 tourists were injured, including two seriously, after some cable cars in a ropeway collided with each other at Trikut hills close to Baba Baidyanath Temple in Jharkhand’s Deoghar district on Sunday, officials said.
As per eyewitnesses, 50 people are still stuck in at least 12 cabins in the ropeway and a rescue operation is underway.
Prima facie, the incident appears to have occurred due to a technical snag resulting in collision of cable cars, an official said, adding, however, the exact cause is yet to be ascertained.
A couple was seriously injured after they tried to jump from a cable car following the incident. They were admitted to a hospital, he said.
A team of National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) has been deployed at the spot for the rescue operation, Deoghar Deputy Commissioner Manjunath Bhajantri said.
Both the DC and Superintendent of Police Subhash Chandra Jat are monitoring the rescue operation from the spot.
Bhajantri said that local villagers are also assisting the NDRF in the rescue operation.
“The situation is completely under control. Some people are still stuck in the cable cars in the ropeway and they are being rescued. All tourists are being evacuated safely,” the DC said, while appealing to people to not spread rumours.
Godda MP Nishikant Dubey said that he had informed Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Jharkhand Chief Secretary Sukhdeo Singh and requested for deployment NDRF teams.
“I thank the Union home minister for taking cognisance of the matter immediately,” he said.
Jharkhand Tourism says that Trikut ropeway is India’s highest vertical ropeway with a maximum lens angle of 44 degrees. The ropeway, situated around 20 km from Baba Baidyanath Temple, is around 766-metres-long, while the hill is 392-metres-high.
There are 25 cabins in the ropeway. Four people can sit in each cabin. The ropeway manager and other employees fled the spot after the incident.