Overview
- A technical fault stopped both phases of the Gulmarg Gondola on Monday, leaving about 65 cabins stalled with roughly 300–320 tourists aboard.
- Army, NDRF, SDRF, police and local teams carried out a coordinated seven‑hour vertical rescue using ropes, ladders and technical extraction to lower all passengers safely.
- Rescuers worked in heavy rain and some cabins were reported dangling nearly 500 feet above the ground, which lengthened extraction times but resulted in no casualties.
- Authorities have begun restoration work and technical inspections while a formal inquiry will investigate causes reported on site, including possible overloading or a gearbox malfunction.
- The incident has renewed scrutiny of the Gulmarg Gondola’s safety and oversight given its importance to Kashmir’s tourism and a past fatal crash in 2017 that killed seven people.