Keystone-SDA
Many people were injured in a chairlift accident in northeastern Spain. Two 18-year-old Spanish women had to be flown to hospitals in the regional capital Zaragoza due to their critical condition, the government of the Aragon region announced.
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18 January 2025 – 22:27
(Keystone-SDA) A total of ten people were injured in the accident at the Astún ski station in the Pyrenees, it was said. There were no Germans among them, as the authorities confirmed upon request.
The rescue work in the remote accident site in the province of Huesca lasted several hours in the afternoon. These have now been completed, said Aragon’s Prime Minister Jorge Azcón. The exact cause of the accident is being investigated.
Heartbreaking screams
Within seconds, the idyllic winter paradise was transformed into a place of horror: some people fell from a height of 15 meters when, according to available findings, a component came loose around 12 noon and the structure partially collapsed. Eyewitnesses reported heartbreaking screams. The ski station was immediately closed.
Many people were still stuck at dizzy heights hours after the accident. They were gradually rappelled down or rescued by helicopter. According to a report by the TV station RTVE, dozens of ambulances and five helicopters were on site.
Some people were able to escape by jumping – like Maria Moreno. The Spaniard described the chaotic moments in an interview with RTVE: “I was in the elevator with my father when it suddenly jerked. Some fell headfirst, others rolled down the slopes.
-She jumped off at the last moment and alerted the rescue services. “The seriously injured were probably mostly hit by the falling structure,” speculated Moreno.
Psychologists looked after traumatized visitors
The bad news also sparked concern in the Madrid government palace, Palacio de la Moncloa. Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez expressed his condolences on social media: “I am deeply shocked by the news from Astún. Our thoughts are with the injured and their families.” Aragon’s Prime Minister Azcón even rushed to the scene of the accident.
The surrounding hospitals were put on high alert. In addition to the two seriously injured young women who, according to official information, were the most worried and were in the intensive care unit, a 67-year-old woman and a young girl were also being treated in hospital on Saturday evening.
In addition to members of the emergency services, the police and the fire department, psychologists were also deployed in Astún to look after the traumatized visitors to the ski area. “We are doing everything in our power,” said the head of the regional emergency services, Miguel Ángel Clavero, on television.
The ski lifts in Aragon are considered safe
The ski stations in the Spanish Pyrenees are very popular in winter, especially with local tourists, but also with foreigners. Accidents with fatalities are not uncommon there. Most recently, there were three accidents in 2022 with a total of three fatalities. But these accidents usually happen while skiing – the ski lifts are considered safe.
The Astún ski station emphasized in a communiqué that it had all permits and inspection certificates. After the accident, all users were evacuated within two and a half hours. It was said that the facility would be reopened on Sunday.
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