Ecuador
80 people stranded in a tourist cable car
About 80 people were stranded Thursday in several cabins of a tourist cable car in Quito following material damage, said the town hall of the Ecuadorian capital.
Published7 July 2023, 10:44
People trapped in the cable car were rescued using ropes.
Screenshot – DR
About 80 people were stranded on Thursday in several cabins of a tourist cable car in Quito following material damage, the town hall of the Ecuadorian capital said, without reporting any casualties. “Interventions are taking place on the cabins, some 78 people are stranded and 11 have been rescued,” the municipality said on its Twitter account.
Images released by the town hall show firefighters assisting people who descend using ropes, while rescuers illuminate the scene. In addition to the firefighters, members of an elite police unit are involved in the rescue.
Relief operations
A 2.5 km long cable car for tourist use, one of the highest in the world, has been in operation in Quito since 2005, rising from around 3100 meters to almost 4000 meters above sea level.
The incident was recorded Thursday around 4 p.m. local time (11 p.m. in Switzerland), said Mayor Pabel Muñoz, who announced the closure of the cable car as a “security” measure. “Some people are safe and supported. We still have to evacuate some cabins to complete the rescue missions, ”he added around midnight (7 a.m. in Switzerland).
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(AFP)Show comments
