Jharkhand Ropeway Accident: The Trikut ropeway is India's highest vertical ropeway
All the tourists who remained trapped mid-air in three cable cars in Jharkhand's Deoghar district for about 40 hours, were rescued today in a risky operation involving two Air Force helicopters and dozens of officials.
Deoghar Deputy Commissioner Manjunath Bhajantri said the rescue operations to rescue were carried out by the combined teams of the Indian Air Force, Army, Indo-Tibetan Border Police and National Disaster Response Force (NDRF).
More than 40 people were stuck on the ropeway following a collision between cable cars on a ropeway at Trikut Hills in Deoghar on Sunday.
"Three people have died in the mishap, including two tourists who fell from helicopters on Monday and Tuesday during rescue attempts, while 12 injured people are undergoing treatment at hospitals," officials said.
Rescue operations had to be stopped after sunset last evening as the ropeway runs through a picturesque yet densely forested area surrounded by hills, access to which is difficult except by air.
The Jharkhand High Court has taken suo motu cognizance of Deoghar ropeway incident and has ordered an inquiry into the matter. The court will hear the matter on April 26.
According to officials, a technical snag may have resulted in the collision of cable cars, but the exact cause of the accident is yet to be confirmed. The ropeway manager and other employees had fled the spot after the incident, news agency PTI reported.
The Trikut ropeway, according to the Jharkhand tourism department, is India's highest vertical ropeway. It is around 766-metre long.