Police rescue 250 tourists stuck on Gulmarg mountain

As many as 250 tourists stuck overnight on a mountain at Gulmarg in North Kashmir were rescued by police

As many as 250 tourists stuck overnight on a mountain, around 12,300 feet above sea level, at Gulmarg in North Kashmir were rescued by police, officials said on Friday. They said that the tourists, on a visit to the picturesque Affarwat mountain using a cable car lift, were not able to return as the lift developed a snag.

The tourists, on a visit to the picturesque Affarwat mountain using a cable car lift, were not able to return as the lift developed a snag. (HT Photo)

“Baramulla Police today rescued nearly 250 tourists who went for Gondola ride to Phase-II at Affarwat Gulmarg. While on their return to Gondola base, the tourists got stuck due to technical glitches in the cable car operations, “ said a police spokesperson.

He said that after getting the information, a police rescue teams led by station house officer Irshad Ahmad with the assistance of staff of Gondola Car Corporation came to rescue of the tourists. “After strenuous overnight efforts, they rescued the stranded tourists and brought them back to Gulmarg base safely,” he said. The police also released a video of tourists expressing their gratitude and saluting the rescue team.

The Gulmarg or meadow of flowers is a major destination for tourists, both national and international, owing to its cup shaped valley with virgin peaks, dry curry powder snow and meadows. Gondola in Gulmarg is one of Asia’s largest and highest cable cars ringed by pine forests and mountain peaks in Gulmarg. It has two phases. The first phase takes a person to Kongdori at a height of 8,530-feet, while the second phase soars to Affarwat at a height of 12,293-feet. In 2022, a whopping 26.73-lakh tourists visited Kashmir, the highest ever in its history. Out of this, 15.42-lakh made it to Gulmarg.