Gulmarg Gondola rescue: All 300 tourists brought to safety after cable car halt
Synopsis
Asia's highest cable car ground to a halt in Gulmarg on 25 May, leaving nearly 300 tourists suspended mid-air in a high-altitude emergency. A four-agency joint rescue — Army, NDRF, SDRF, and police — brought every passenger to safety without a single injury, even as the LG and Chief Minister monitored operations in real time.
Key Takeaways
The Gulmarg Gondola — Asia's highest cable car — halted on 25 May 2025 due to a technical fault, stranding nearly 300 tourists mid-air.
A joint rescue team of Indian Army , NDRF , SDRF , and local police evacuated all passengers; no injuries were reported.
LG Manoj Sinha personally monitored the operation and directed the DGP to proceed to the site.
CM Omar Abdullah confirmed all gondola cabins were intact and specialised teams had been dispatched.
Cable Car Corporation MD Syed Qamar Sajjad described the stoppage as 'only a technical glitch' with no major underlying issue.
Gondola operations were temporarily suspended as a precaution pending a technical review.
All tourists stranded mid-air in the Gulmarg Gondola cable car cabins were rescued safely on Monday, 25 May, after a technical malfunction brought both phases of Asia's highest cable car to an abrupt stop in Gulmarg, Jammu & Kashmir. No injuries were reported, and joint rescue teams comprising the Indian Army, NDRF, SDRF, and local police successfully evacuated all passengers.
What Triggered the Emergency
A sudden system glitch — attributed to a technical fault or suspected overload — halted the Gulmarg Gondola on both its phases simultaneously, leaving an estimated nearly 300 tourists dangling in the cabins at high altitude. The stoppage triggered widespread panic, particularly among families with women and children. Emergency evacuation protocols were activated immediately after the incident.
Syed Qamar Sajjad, Managing Director of the Cable Car Corporation, said there was 'no major issue' and described it as 'only a technical glitch.' He confirmed that four specialised cable car rescue teams were deployed for the evacuation, supported by Army, police, and SDRF personnel on the ground.
Government Response and Monitoring
Jammu & Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha said he was personally monitoring the rescue operation. In a post on X, Sinha stated: 'I'm monitoring the rescue operation for tourists stranded in cable car cabins following a technical fault in Gulmarg. I have directed the DGP to proceed to the site. A joint rescue team of Police, Army, SDRF, DC, and SSP is conducting the operation to ensure the safety of all tourists.'
Chief Minister Omar Abdullah also reassured the public that the government was closely monitoring the situation and that all necessary measures had been taken to ensure the safe evacuation of visitors. Abdullah confirmed that all gondola cabins were intact and that specialised teams had been dispatched.
Rescue Operation: How It Unfolded
The joint rescue operation involved coordinated deployment of Army, NDRF, SDRF, and local police teams. All stranded passengers were brought down safely without any reported injuries, officials confirmed. The scale and speed of the response drew attention to the preparedness protocols at the high-altitude resort.
Gondola operations were subsequently temporarily suspended as a precautionary measure while authorities assessed the technical fault. The Gulmarg Gondola, which ferries tourists to altitudes exceeding 13,000 feet, is one of the most visited attractions in the Kashmir Valley and a key driver of tourism revenue in the region.
What Happens Next
Authorities have not yet specified a timeline for resuming gondola services. The Cable Car Corporation is expected to conduct a technical review before operations restart. This incident underscores the need for robust maintenance and real-time fault detection systems at high-altitude tourist infrastructure, particularly as visitor footfall to Gulmarg surges during the summer season.
Point of View
Multi-agency rescue is reassuring, but the incident raises a harder question: how does Asia's highest cable car serving hundreds of tourists daily halt without warning on both phases simultaneously? A 'technical glitch' explanation is insufficient for an installation of this criticality. Gulmarg's tourism economy — and the safety of the visitors it depends on — requires transparent root-cause disclosure and a publicly verifiable maintenance audit, not just a quick restart. The LG and CM's visible involvement signals political awareness of the stakes; the real test is whether that translates into structural accountability for the Cable Car Corporation.
NationPress
8 Aug 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What happened at the Gulmarg Gondola on 25 May 2025?
The Gulmarg Gondola, Asia's highest cable car, came to an abrupt stop on 25 May 2025 due to a technical fault or suspected overload, leaving nearly 300 tourists stranded mid-air in the cabins. A joint rescue operation by the Army, NDRF, SDRF, and police brought all passengers to safety without any injuries.
Were any tourists injured in the Gulmarg Gondola incident?
No injuries were reported. Officials confirmed that all stranded tourists were evacuated safely by the joint rescue teams deployed at the site.
What did LG Manoj Sinha say about the Gulmarg Gondola rescue?
LG Manoj Sinha said he was personally monitoring the rescue operation and had directed the DGP to proceed to the site. He confirmed that a joint team of Police, Army, SDRF, DC, and SSP was conducting the evacuation to ensure the safety of all tourists.
Why did the Gulmarg Gondola stop?
According to Cable Car Corporation MD Syed Qamar Sajjad, the stoppage was caused by a technical glitch and there was no major underlying issue. Authorities also cited a suspected system overload as a possible contributing factor.
Is the Gulmarg Gondola operating after the incident?
Gondola operations were temporarily suspended as a precautionary measure following the rescue. A technical review by the Cable Car Corporation is expected before services resume; no restart timeline has been officially announced.
