DUMKA/RANCHI: Two people died, one during a botched-up rescue mission, even as 15 tourists continued to remain stranded in cabin cars on the ropeway at Deoghar’s Trikut hills, a day after a malfunctioning system saw cable cars getting stuck thousands of feet above ground and hurtling against each other.
A woman died of injuries during the course of treatment, while on Monday evening, another middle-aged man died after falling into the 1,500 feet valley after his safety belt broke during the airlifting process. Two Indian Air Force helicopters (Mi-17 and Mi-17 V5) were pressed into action at 6.30 am on Monday for rescuing 48 tourists who were stranded in different cabin cars, thousands of feet above ground.
PM Modi is constantly monitoring the situation in Deoghar due to the ropeway accident. He also discussed the rescue operations with Union home minister Amit Shah, said sources.
Dumka resident Sushila Devi, who was safely rescued on Monday, said, “It feels like I have taken a rebirth. We were not sure if we would be alive the next moment.” Rescue operations got suspended on Monday evening because of poor visibility at India’s highest vertical ropeway, estimated to be 766-metre long.
Witnesses said a portion of the wire snapped after a cabin first hit a rock, leading to a chain of collisions with other cabins. “Airlifting is a big challenge here as many cabins are hanging closer to the hill which is posing a problem for coming of the helicopter closer to it to airlift,” he said. He added that since morning they had flown drones to reach food packets and water to those stranded.
“But it may not be possible to do so during the night. We are exploring other ways,” he said.
A woman died of injuries during the course of treatment, while on Monday evening, another middle-aged man died after falling into the 1,500 feet valley after his safety belt broke during the airlifting process. Two Indian Air Force helicopters (Mi-17 and Mi-17 V5) were pressed into action at 6.30 am on Monday for rescuing 48 tourists who were stranded in different cabin cars, thousands of feet above ground.
PM Modi is constantly monitoring the situation in Deoghar due to the ropeway accident. He also discussed the rescue operations with Union home minister Amit Shah, said sources.
Dumka resident Sushila Devi, who was safely rescued on Monday, said, “It feels like I have taken a rebirth. We were not sure if we would be alive the next moment.” Rescue operations got suspended on Monday evening because of poor visibility at India’s highest vertical ropeway, estimated to be 766-metre long.
Witnesses said a portion of the wire snapped after a cabin first hit a rock, leading to a chain of collisions with other cabins. “Airlifting is a big challenge here as many cabins are hanging closer to the hill which is posing a problem for coming of the helicopter closer to it to airlift,” he said. He added that since morning they had flown drones to reach food packets and water to those stranded.
“But it may not be possible to do so during the night. We are exploring other ways,” he said.