Cable car accident kills 1 & injures 10 in Antalya, Turkey
On Friday (12 April), one person died and 10 others sustained injuries after a cable car accident took place in the city of Antalya in Turkey.
One of the supporting poles of the cable car system had collapsed and collided with a cable car cabin, according to CNN.
As a result, 200 people were stranded in midair in addition to the casualties.
Rescue efforts are ongoing to evacuate those stuck in the cabins to safety.
Cable car support collapses in Turkey killing 1 occupant
The Daily Mail reports that the incident occurred on 12 April, when a pylon supporting the cable cars abruptly collapsed in Sarisu-Tunektepe, an area in the southern Turkish province of Antalya.
It then collided with one cable car cabin.
The accident caused the eight occupants in one of the cars to plunge into the depths of the rocky area below.
Source: Daily Mail
One of them, a 54-year-old Turkish man, passed away. The rest of the cabin’s passengers, which included two children, sustained injuries.
Turkey’s Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya said that authorities transported five of those injured off the mountain via helicopters.
Efforts had continued to evacuate the other two from the area, Yerlikaya stated three hours after the crash.
Over 100 people evacuated from rescue operations
Reuters reported that the accident left 24 cable car cabins stranded in mid-air at 5.23pm on 12 April.
After 16 hours, more than 60 people were still within the remaining nine cabins in the air, Turkey’s interior ministry said.
Source: AP News via The Guardian
Rescue teams had managed to evacuate 112 people by then.
The operation involved more than 160 first responders and helicopters equipped with night vision.
Aircrews from the Coast Guard and mountaineering teams from different parts of Turkey were also activated.
Source: Daily Mail
Yerlikaya said that authorities had sent around 110 emergency personnel to the site of the collapse. In addition, more specialist mountaineers were travelling to the area from elsewhere in Turkey.
Updating on the situation via X on Saturday (13 April), he shared that 137 people had been rescued with 29 more waiting for evacuation.
The rescue operation included the active involvement of eight helicopters, one military cargo plane, and six ambulances and drones, in addition to 607 search and rescue personnel.
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Featured image adapted from Daily Mail and Reuters.
