Cable car snap: Armed forces rescue all eight person in daylong cliffhanger

BATTAGRAM/ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Army on Tuesday night announced successful completion of cable car rescue operation which retrieved eight people including a teacher and seven students in Tehsil Alai of Battagram District.

“The sling team of Special Services Group of Pakistan Army, Army Aviation, Pakistan Air Force with support of local administration, cable car experts and locals performed the unique and difficult rescue and proved their metal,” the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) in a statement said.

Prime Minister Anwaarul Haq Kakar said that he was relieved to know that Alhamdolillah all the kids have been successfully and safely rescued.

“Great team work by the military, rescue departments, district administration as well as the local people,” the prime minister said on X.

The ISPR statement said that after a complicated and difficult operation, the SSG sling team safely rescued all the people who were trapped midair in a cable car at a height of 600 feet.

The reports said that seven students and a teacher were left stranded in a cable which they boarded to reach a high school in Batangi village of tehsil Alai, Battagram district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. One of the cables was broken at 7.45 am. The media wing of Pakistan Army said that SSG team and Army Aviation team on directives of the Chief of Army Staff (COAS) initiated the operation. Later, sling team of SSG and PAF helicopter also provided the technical support which helped in successful completion of operation.

“To successfully accomplish the operation the services of local cable experts were also taken while locals and civil administration also extended their support,” the ISPR statement said. Two of stranded people were rescued by the sling team in day light while after darkness, ground operation was launched. With support of cable car experts, a same size cable car was moved on the remaining cable to rescue people one by one and provide food and water to them.

“The armed forces of Pakistan have called ‘Labaik’ on voice of people and always stood by them in difficult times and will continue to do so in future also,” the ISPR statement maintained.