One person was killed and 10 others were injured on Friday just outside the southern Turkish city of Antalya after a cable car cabin collided with a broken pole, the Turkish Ministry of the Interior said yeterday.
A total of 128 passengers were rescued from 16 cable cars, but 43 remained stranded in mid-air yesterday morning, the Turkish Disaster and Emergency Management Authority (AFAD) said.
Seven helicopters and more than 500 rescuers, including specialist mountaineers, were at the scene, authorities said.
Photo: Antalya Governorship via EPA-EFE
A video released by the Turkish Ministry of the Interior showed rescue personnel tied to safety ropes climbing into cabins.
Two children were among the injured in the accident, the state-run Anadolu Agency said.
Anadolu identified the deceased as a 54-year-old Turkish man.
Photo: Dia Images via AP
Images in Turkish media showed the battered car swaying from dislodged cables on the side of the rocky mountain as medics tended the wounded.
Friday was the final day of a three-day public holiday in Turkey marking the end of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, which sees families flock to coastal resorts.
The cable car carries tourists from Konyaalti beach to a restaurant and viewing platform at the summit of the 618m Tunektepe peak. It is run by Antalya Metropolitan Municipality.
The cable car has 36 cabins with a capacity of six people each, and it takes an average of nine minutes to go uphill to the Tunektepe facility, information on its Web site says.
The Antalya Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office has launched an investigation. An expert commission including mechanical and electrical engineers and health and safety experts was assigned to determine the cause of the incident.
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