It was a holiday turned nightmare for 96 tourists who were stuck mid-air for almost 10 hours after the Patriata chairlift derailed due to a storm.
According to the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), who assisted rescue officials to retrieve the tourists suspended in the air, the chairlift wire detached from the pulley due to a storm in Murree. 12 cable cars shifted off the pulley wire and were hanging dangerously.
Fortunately, all the tourists were rescued successfully in an operation that took almost 10 hours. The operation involved getting the people out of the lowest car with ropes and then slowly pulling the next car to the end using a makeshift pulley. This process was repeated with all 12 cars.
The Patriata chairlift in Muree is a popular tourist attraction. It is the highest point in the area and the hills stand 7,500 feet above sea level.
