Nearly 300 tourists were left stranded mid-air after the Gulmarg Gondola cable car service in Jammu and Kashmir suddenly stopped due to a technical fault on Monday, triggering panic and a massive rescue operation involving the army, police and disaster response teams. The incident took place at the famous tourist resort of Gulmarg, where several cabins remained suspended high above the ground with tourists trapped inside for a brief period. Multiple videos from the site quickly surfaced online, showing frightened passengers waiting inside the hanging cabins as rescue personnel rushed to evacuate them safely. The incident caused panic among visitors, especially women and children, during the busy summer tourist season in Jammu and Kashmir.
Government is closely monitoring the situation at the Gulmarg Gondola after the cable car service was temporarily halted due to a technical fault. All cabins remain intact and rescue operations to safely evacuate stranded tourists are underway with trained teams on the ground.…
— Office of Chief Minister, J&K (@CM_JnK) May 25, 2026
Rescue teams rush to Gulmarg after tourists get trapped inside suspended cabins
Reports say that officials said the cable car system, popularly known as the Gondola, came to a sudden halt because of a technical issue. Soon after the service stopped, rescue operations were launched on priority to bring stranded tourists to safety.
Teams from the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) and National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) immediately reached the spot. SF Spl CI teams, HAWAS personnel and the Jammu and Kashmir Police also joined the operation. Officials said the Sub-Divisional Magistrate and Tehsildar of Tangmarg personally supervised the rescue efforts at the site.
As per reports, eyewitnesses described scenes of panic after the Gondola unexpectedly stopped mid-air. Several tourists inside the cabins were reportedly anxious as rescue teams coordinated evacuation measures.
Authorities say situation remained under control during evacuation process
Officials maintained that the situation in Jammu and Kashmir remained under control despite the panic among tourists. They said all required safety procedures were followed carefully during the rescue operation.
“A technical issue led to the temporary suspension of the gondola service. Rescue teams were immediately mobilised, and evacuation of stranded tourists was taken up on priority,” an official said, according to reports.
Authorities also confirmed that technical experts were simultaneously deployed to identify the fault and restore the Gondola operations as early as possible. Officials said all cabins remained structurally safe throughout the incident.
Omar Abdullah’s office says there is no reason for panic
The office of Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah also reacted to the incident and assured tourists that the administration was closely monitoring the situation.
“Government is closely monitoring the situation at the Gulmarg Gondola after the cable car service was temporarily halted due to a technical fault. All cabins remain intact, and rescue operations to safely evacuate stranded tourists are underway with trained teams on the ground. The situation is completely under control, and there is no cause for panic,” the statement said.
The Gulmarg Gondola is regarded as one of the world’s highest cable car projects and remains one of the biggest tourist attractions in Jammu and Kashmir. Thousands of tourists visit the site every year, especially during the summer months, making the temporary suspension a major incident at the popular hill destination.
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Khalid Qasid is a media enthusiast with a strong interest in documentary filmmaking. He holds a Master’s degree in Convergent Journalism from AJK MCRC. He has also written extensively on esports at Sportsdunia. Currently, he covers world and general news at NewsX Digital.
