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Gulmarg (Jammu and Kashmir) [India], May 26 (ANI): Normalcy returned to the Gulmarg Gondola on Tuesday, a day after a technical malfunction in the area briefly disrupted operations and left several cable car cabins stranded mid-air with tourists onboard, prompting a large-scale rescue operation.
The rescue operation concluded successfully with all stranded tourists evacuated safely. According to Jammu and Kashmir Police, 286.
Tourists in the valley praised the swift response by rescue teams, locals and security personnel.
Speaking to ANI, tourist Sourav said, "We feel quite safe here. Security is always deployed here. And all the locals are very helpful. They went up and rescued everyone, supported them, and brought them back. No one faced much difficulty... the most important thing is that everyone was rescued safely and everyone returned," he said.
Encouraging more tourists to visit Gulmarg, he added, "Come here comfortably. There's no need to worry. You can roam freely even at 10, 11, or 12 at night."
Another tourist, Vineet Bikal from Mumbai, said he and his family had been in Gulmarg for the past two days and witnessed the rescue efforts closely.
He said, "We have been in Gulmarg for the past two days, and so far, our experience has been very good. The weather is beautiful--neither too cold nor too hot."
Recalling the incident, Bikal said they narrowly avoided being caught in the disruption.
"Yesterday, we visited both Phase 1 and Phase 2. Fortunately for us, right before our turn came at Phase 1, there was a technical snag, and we had to walk back down. However, the guides here and those involved in the rescue operation helped us and our children get down safely without any charges," he said.
He also praised locals for assisting stranded passengers and supporting the rescue teams.
"We also saw the locals here providing a lot of assistance to the people who were stranded in the Gondola. They even helped the army personnel. So, overall, it has been a great experience. It was a little scary at the time, but the experience turned out well," he added.
Thanking those involved in the operation, Bikal said, "We should truly be thankful to all of them. From what I saw, the operation continued late into the evening and night. Everyone was rescued successfully without anyone facing any major health concerns. We are very grateful to the locals, the police, and of course, the Indian Army." (ANI)