Nearly 300 tourists experienced a frightening mid-air ordeal after the famous Gulmarg Gondola service suddenly stopped due to a technical fault in Jammu and Kashmir on Monday, triggering a large-scale rescue operation.
Officials said the cable car system, one of Kashmir’s most popular tourist attractions, developed a technical issue that temporarily suspended operations and left passengers stranded inside multiple suspended cabins. The incident created panic among visitors, especially families travelling with children.
Soon after the gondola came to a halt, rescue teams from the Army, Jammu and Kashmir Police and local civil administration rushed to the site and began evacuation efforts.
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Army and police launch coordinated rescue
According to NDTV, personnel from the Army’s 9 Raj Rif unit, police teams and district authorities coordinated rescue measures to safely evacuate stranded passengers from the cabins. Officials said the Sub-Divisional Magistrate and Tehsildar of Tangmarg also reached the location to oversee operations and monitor the situation closely.
Eyewitnesses described tense scenes as tourists waited anxiously inside the stationary cable cars suspended high above the ground. Several videos circulating online showed passengers trapped inside cabins while rescue personnel worked to restore normalcy.
Despite the panic, authorities maintained that the situation remained fully under control and that safety protocols were being followed carefully throughout the operation.
An official said the technical issue had caused only a temporary suspension of services and assured that immediate action had been taken to prioritise evacuation and passenger safety.
Update Rescue Ops | #GulmargGondola | 06:15PM
As of now,
total 166 persons have been rescued from 29 Cabins.Rescue operations by trained teams continue. All passengers are safe and situation is under control. No need to panic.#NationFirst#AlwaysInCombat@adgpi pic.twitter.com/8SNB1BjG8H
— NORTHERN COMMAND – INDIAN ARMY (@NorthernComd_IA) May 25, 2026
Omar Abdullah’s office issues statement
According to NDTV, the office of Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah said the government was closely monitoring developments following the incident.
In a statement, the Chief Minister’s Office said all cabins remained structurally intact and trained rescue teams were already on the ground carrying out evacuation procedures. It also urged people not to panic, emphasising that the situation was under control.
Technical experts were simultaneously deployed to identify the exact fault in the system and restore gondola operations as quickly as possible.
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
One of Kashmir’s biggest tourist attractions
The Gulmarg Gondola is regarded as one of the world’s highest cable car projects and remains a major draw for tourists visiting Kashmir throughout the year. The attraction witnesses especially heavy footfall during the summer tourist season, with thousands of visitors using the service daily to access higher reaches of Gulmarg.
