Drama in the Pyrenees: a chairlift collapses in a Spanish ski resort, leaving 30 people injured, including 4 seriously. Help mobilized for an emergency mountain rescue. What happened?
Black day for skiers at the Astún resort in Spain. This Saturday morning, a spectacular chairlift accident left no less than 30 injured, including 4 in a serious condition. The victims were violently thrown from their seats onto the snow-covered slope after the ski lift cable suddenly gave way.
A mechanical problem at the origin of the tragedy
According to initial findings, a failure in the pulley of one of the pylons is believed to be the cause. This failure led to a loss of tension in the supporting cable, dangerously unbalancing the seats. Some were literally thrown towards the ground, others remained suspended in the air.
Skiers thrown violently, others stuck
The testimonies of the survivors are chilling. “ Suddenly the chairlifts started bouncing and people were flying », says a young skier still in shock. Another victim, María Moreno, describes having fell heavily to the ground after several bounceswhile seeing other passengers directly hit by the seats that fell on the runway.
We suddenly heard a noise and fell to the ground in the chairlift. We bounced five times, up, down and our backs hurt and took a beating but there were people who fell off the chairlifts.
María Moreno, one of the injured skiers
Significant emergency resources deployed
Faced with the scale of the accident, significant resources were implemented by the emergency services. No less than 5 helicopters and around fifteen ambulances were urgently mobilized. A field hospital was even deployed at the foot of the slopes to care for the most lightly injured.
-- 10 injured evacuated to hospitals, including 4 in serious condition
- 20 lighter victims treated on site in the station
- All skiers stuck in the chairlifts were rescued
The Spanish government mobilized
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez quickly reacted on social networks. Saying he was “shocked” by this dramatic event, he assured that the central government would provide all its support to local authorities to manage the aftermath of this extraordinary accident.
An investigation has been opened to determine precisely the circumstances and responsibilities in this tragedy which mourns the start of the season in the Pyrenees. The Astún station, close to the French border, is one of the busiest on the Spanish side.
Ski lift safety in question
An accident of this magnitude is extremely rare and reignites the debate on the safety of ski lifts in ski resorts. If the standards are particularly strict, no installation is safe from failure, as this tragedy shows.
However, the lifts are subject to very regular checks, both before the season and during operation. However, the obsolescence of certain installations in old stations may raise questions.
A necessary awareness
Beyond the shock and emotion aroused by this terrible accident, it is all the question of maintenance and modernization of equipment in the ski areas which is posed. Let us hope that this tragedy raises awareness and strengthens controls to guarantee maximum safety for skiers.
Because if skiing remains an overall very safe leisure activity considering the number of people practicing it, incidents like this remind us that zero risk does not exist. A brutal reality which mourns the start of the season in the Spanish Pyrenees.
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