45 spend the night trapped in broken-down cable cars in the French Alps – IOTW Report

45 spend the night trapped in broken-down cable cars in the French Alps

DMuk: Dozens of tourists will spend the night trapped in cable cars suspended in the French Alps after high winds caused a mechanical failure.

french-alps

A huge rescue operation was launched after more than 100 people were left trapped in panoramic cable cars suspended 50 metres in the air close to Mont Blanc in the Alps this afternoon.

French, Italian and Swiss rescue services used four helicopters to evacuate 65 of the 110 sightseers stranded in Chamonix, Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve said in a statement.

The rescue operation to bring the remaining people trapped to safety will resume at 6.30am on Friday.

But with darkness falling, rescue services have been unable to bring the other 60 to safety, meaning they will have to spend the night in the cabins. 

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18 Comments on 45 spend the night trapped in broken-down cable cars in the French Alps

  1. Ever been on the gondola in Lake Tahoe? The one next to Harrahs casino? DH and I got the bright idea to take a trip up the mountain on it. I was in panic mode the whole time, my palms were sweating and my heart was pounding. I’d be freaking out if I had to spend the night in one of those swinging in the air. Even more, can you imagine farting in one those things and no ventilation? Aaaaaack!

  2. Golden Fox. Ya know that motel to the west of those Gondolas, my sister in laws were chased back inside by a Black Bear while we were there a couple years ago. Right in the middle of town.

  3. I haven’t been on that gondola, but the ones that travel from the top of the Garmisch-Partenkirchen rack rail terminus to the Zugspitze. The gondolas there are rather roomy but, still, I wouldn’t want to spend the night in one. The Hotel Zugspitze is cantilevered over the side of the mountain so that when you wake up and looking out your window it is like sleeping on the wing of an airplane, looking out at the tops of the Alps in all directions.

    Whistler has gondolas similar to the ones that are stuck. I think I would prefer to wait for a fix before being airlifted out.

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