All 11 tourists stranded due to a technical glitch in the ropeway at the Timber Trail Resorts in Parwanoo, the gateway to Himachal, have been rescued. The tourists were stuck for over three hours. Onkar Chand Sharma, Principal Secretary, Himachal Pradesh Disaster Management Department has confirmed this. He said that the administration and the police team have rescued 11 people safely. A National Disaster Response Force team conducted the rescue operation.
It is being told that the incident happened around 1:45 pm on Monday. Visuals from the spot showed dramatic shots of the tourists being rescued with the help of a trolley that was deployed. ASP Solan Ashok Verma said that all the people have been evacuated.
When tourists were coming towards Parwanoo from Hotel Moksha by cable car, suddenly the trolley got stuck in the middle. Due to this, 11 people’s lives comprising elderly people were hanging in mid of the air. First of all, four people including a woman were evacuated. After this others were rescued. However, the tourists claimed that they were given the only option to be rescued using ropes. The tourists demanded other alternatives for the rescue operation to be continued.
Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur gave information about this incident by tweeting. He said that the rescue operation of the tourists trapped in the Parwanoo Timber Trail in Solan is going on. CM Thakur tweeted, As soon as I get information about the incident, I myself am going to the spot. The administration is on the spot. With the help of NDRF and administration, all the passengers will be safely rescued soon.
Earlier, the tourists claimed “lack of arrangements” and feared being rescued using ropes. According to the video shot by the tourists stuck in the cable car, the tourists refused to use ropes for the rescue operation.
“They said that if you want to be rescued through ropes, then it is fine otherwise we have no other option,” a female said. “I cannot use the ropes. They (the authorities) said if you want to be rescued, then fine, or else the operation would not be conducted. They have no arrangements,” a tourist claimed.
On 13 October 1992, there was a similar accident on Parwanoo Timbal Trail. At that time, the car carrying 10 passengers suddenly broke down and all the people were hanging in the air at a height of 1300 feet. The rescue operation was carried out for two days from a Mi-17 helicopter. Colonel Ivan Joseph Cresto (Retd) was given the command of this rescue operation. He saved the lives of all the passengers. He was awarded the Kirti Chakra for the Timber Trail Rescue operation. Even today many officers narrate tales of his bravery.
Confirming this, SP Solan Virender Sharma said that due to a technical problem in the TTR of Parwanoo at around 1:30 pm, the cable car got stuck in the middle due to which the tourists present in the trolley got stuck in mid of the air. He told that another trolley was sent to rescue the tourists. Ropeway service is also being done there.