7 killed as cable car plummets in Gulmarg

26/06/2017

Srinagar, Jun 25: Four members of a Delhi family and three tourist guides were killed when a cable car came crashing down after a ropeway snapped midair in the ski-resort of Gulmarg today, prompting the J-K government to order a high-level inquiry.
A tree, uprooted by strong winds, fell on the ropeway of Gulmarg Gondola severing the lines and plummeting the cable car to the ground, a police official said.
The police said they rescued around 150 people stranded due to the snapping of the cable car ropeway in north Kashmir’s Baramulla district.
Four of the deceased belonged to a family from Delhi’s Shalimar Bagh, he said.
They have been identified as Jayant Andraskar, his wife Manisha Andraskar and their two minor daughters, Anagha and Janhvi.
Three Kashmiri tourist guides, Mukhtar Ahmad of Chonti Patri Babareshi, and Jahangir Ahmad and Farooq Ahmad Chopan, both residents of Tangmarg — were also killed in the accident, the official said.
Two others, Tariq Ahmad and Ajaz Ahmad, both residents of Pachhar, also working as tourist guides, were injured and were taken to a hospital in Srinagar.
Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti ordered a high-level inquiry while expressed grief and shock over the deaths.
Mufti, who herself was monitoring the rescue operations, also announced ex gratia of Rs five lakh to the next of kin of the deceased, an official spokesperson said.
He said the chief minister has asked the inquiry to probe the causes or lapses, if any, that led to the tragedy.
The bodies of the deceased were being sent to their homes, the spokesperson said.
An official of the cable car company said that around 150 people had got stranded after the ropeway collapse.
“We resumed the ropeway for rescue of the stranded people,” Riyaz Ahmad, the general manager of the Jammu and Kashmir State Cable Car Corporation, which runs Gulmarg Gondola, said.
Former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Omar Abdullah questioned why the cable car service had not been shut down as a precautionary measure because of high winds.
“What terrible news,” he tweeted.
“It begs the question as to why the cable car operations weren’t suspended in high winds. That’s a laid down SOP [standard operating procedure],” he posted on Twitter.
The Government today ordered a high level inquiry into the tragic incident at Gulmarg in which a family of four from Delhi and three local youth were killed.
Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti announced this as she expressed grief and shock over the deaths.
Mufti, who was herself monitoring the rescue operations, also announced ex-gratia relief of Rs five lakh in favour of the next of kin of the deceased, an official spokesman said.
He said the chief minister also directed a high level inquiry to find the causes or lapses, if any, that led to the accident.
Four members of a Delhi family and three tourist guides were killed when a cable car came crashing down after a ropeway snapped in midair in the skiing destination of Gulmarg today, police said.
A tree, uprooted by strong winds, fell on the ropeway of the Gulmarg Gondola, an official said. It severed the lines and the cable car plummeted to the ground, he said.
The chief minister has also conveyed grief and condolences to the families of the three local youth who were also killed in the same accident, the spokesman said.
As the news of the accident was received, he said, a team of officers led by the Divisional Commissioner, Kashmir, Baseer Khan supervised the rescue at the spot.
The bodies of the deceased are being sent to their homes while as the injured have been shifted to hospital, he said.
“Feeling peaceful” with Manisha Andraskar, was the last message that friends of Jayant Andraskar saw on his facebook page before tragedy struck.
The Delhi couple and their two young daughters - Anagha and Janhvi - were among seven who met a tragic death in Kashmir’s Gulmarg when a cable car came crashing down after a ropeway snapped.
The Andraskars, residents of Shalimar Bagh in north west Delhi, had gone to Kashmir for holidaying.
One of their daughters was a class I student while the other was in playschool, according to one of their relatives, Sourabh. The couple had gone to Kashmir on June 22, he said.
“The last time we talked, they spoke about Kashmir,” said Sourabh said.
The family hailed from Nagpur but had come to Delhi as Jayant was working in a Delhi government department, he said.
Apart from the Andraskars, three persons from Kashmir - Mukhtar Ahmad, a resident of Chonti Patri Babareshi, and Jahangir Ahmad and Farooq Ahmad Chopan, both residents of Tangmarg — were also killed in the accident.
A tree, uprooted by strong winds, fell on the ropeway of Gulmarg Gondola and severed the lines due to which the cable car came crashing to the ground, an official said.
Former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Omar Abdullah questioned why the cable car service had not been shut down as a precautionary measure because of high winds.
“What terrible news,” he tweeted.
“It begs the question as to why the cable car operations weren’t suspended in high winds. That’s a laid down SOP [standard operating procedure],” he posted on Twitter.

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