Rescuers are struggling to rescue six children and two adults trapped in a cable car dangling in strong winds 900 feet above a ravine in Pakistan.
A military commando has tried to reach the car twice while hanging from a helicopter, but strong winds are hindering the precarious operation
The children, aged between 10 and 16, were going to school in Battagram when one of the cables snapped – leaving the car stuck 274m (900 ft) above ground
A 16-year-old boy in the car has a heart condition and has been unconscious for at least two hours, an adult stuck in the car told the BBC
They have been trapped for about 10 hours – and a local resident tells the AFP news agency the car is now “suspended by a single rope”.
The village where the eight people were coming from is Jangri, while the school is located in the village of Batangi.
It takes two hours walk to reach the school from that valley. Therefore, a local man from Batgram who is a mechanic, decided to build a lift.
A police officer has told me that he did get a No Objection Certificate from the city administration and that the chair lift locally known as “Dolly” was checked every month, but the BBC was unable to verify this.
The owner is at the scene.
People would travel via this lift as it would take them only four minutes to reach Batangi from where it would take them another two hours drive to reach the nearest market.
This morning, the lift had already completed four trips to and from the school. On the fifth one its ropes broke, the policeman says.
Source: BBC News.
