An accident on a cable car in Val Thorens (Savoie) left 8 people injured, 2 of whom were serious.
This morning around 7:30 a.m., an accident occurred on the Cime Caron Cable Car. The weather conditions were bad at more than 3,000m altitude. This iconic lift in Val Thorens (Savoie) was used by workers to access a mountain restaurant under construction. A cabin would have hit the arrival station. Among the 17 people on board, 8 were injured, including 2 seriously. Presumably during an impact. The cabin was not used under “normal” operating conditions. During the winter season, an automatic mode is activated. This morning, the cable car was used in construction mode with a pilot.
The case is now in the hands of the courts. The Albertville public prosecutor's office has opened an investigation to determine the causes of the accident. The seriously injured were quickly evacuated to hospitals in the region, thanks to the mobilization of emergency services. Station doctors and trackers, firefighters, CRS Alpes and PGHM took care of the injured. “More than 120 personnel mobilized to help the victims,” specifies the Prefecture of Savoie.
Despite this accident, the resort recently voted “Best Resort in the World” should open this weekend for the launch of its winter season.
Illustration – the remontée in question in 2015 © qwesy qwesy, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
