Nearly 300 tourists experienced a terrible encounter on Sunday as the renowned Gulmarg Gondola service experienced an unexpected mechanical malfunction that left passengers suspended in midair for hours. The trip had started as a picturesque cable car ride over the snow-covered peaks of Jammu and Kashmir's Gulmarg.
Tourists stuck in many chair vehicles suspended over the hilly terrain were swiftly evacuated by a large multi-agency rescue operation comprising the Army, Jammu and Kashmir Police, paramilitary troops, and Civil Defence units.
According to officials, the first phase of the Gulmarg Gondola service in the top tourist destination in north Kashmir was disrupted by a technical issue that happened around 1 pm.

The Gondola's first part travels from the Gulmarg basin to Kangdori, and its second phase ascends to Apharwat Peak at a height of around 4,000 meters.
Images from the scene showed tourists stuck in midair while rescue personnel attempted to safely bring them down in the face of mounting fear and worry.
Senior authorities went to the scene to oversee rescue efforts, including Deputy Chief Minister Surinder Choudhary.
The rescue personnel' successful evacuation of all stranded visitors was commended by Union Home Minister Amit Shah.
Chief Minister Omar Abdullah and Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha of Jammu and Kashmir stated that they were keeping a careful eye on the situation and have allocated all available resources to guarantee the tourists' safe evacuation.

According to authorities, the precise reason for the technical issue has not yet been determined.
One of Kashmir's most popular tourist destinations is the Gulmarg Gondola, which is thought to be Asia's tallest cable car installation and offers sweeping vistas of snow-covered Himalayan peaks at elevations higher than 13,000 feet.