Seven people, including four tourists, were killed when a tall tree was uprooted and hit the ropeway at tourist hotspot Gulmarg on Sunday afternoon.
Police said the ropeway was snapped and a capsule, carrying tourists, hit the ground as strong winds swept Gulmarg, 55 km north of Srinagar, in the afternoon.
“Seven people, including four from the family, have been killed in the accident,” said Inspector General of Police, Kashmir, Muneer Ahmad Khan.
Those who died in the accident were identified as Jayant Andraskar and his wife Manshea Andraskar and daughters Anagha and Janhvi Jayant Andraskar, all residents of Delhi.
Three deceased locals were identified as Mukthar Ahmad Ganai of Babareshi, Farooq Ahmad Chopan of Batu Baramulla and Jehangir Ahmad Khanday.
Meanwhile, hundreds of tourists were stranded for more than two hours as it took time by the cable corporation to make capsules to run again. “It was horrifying experience. We were dangling for more than two hours,” said a tourist from New Delhi.
The police said it pressed into service all-terrain bikes to climb the steep slopes and rescued 150 stranded tourists.
Asia's highest and longest cable car project, the Gulmarg Gondola, ferries 600 people every hour to and from Kongdoori, a bowl shaped valley at the foothills of Afarwat Peak at the height of 13,780 feet. Split in two phases — Gulmarg-Kongdoori and Kongdoori-Afarwat — the phase one is an exciting 15 minutes trip over pine-covered forest range and slopes of snow.
Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti, who expressed grief and shock over the tragic accident, said she was monitoring the rescue operations. She has announced ex-gratia relief of ₹ 5 lakh for next of kin of those killed. “A high-level inquiry will be constituted to know of the causes or lapses, if any, that led to the accident,” said Ms. Mufti.
The bodies of the deceased are being sent to their homes.