After a long and tense 14 hours, all the eight passengers stuck on a cable car were rescued around 10: 45 p.m. on Tuesday night. Interior Minister Sarfaraz Bugti confirmed the mission’s completion on X (formerly Twitter).

Thankful to Allah that the rescue process at Battagram has successfully concluded. All appreciation for our valiant armed forces personnel, administration & locals for their selflessness and determination in carrying out this complex operation.

— Sarfraz Bugti (@PakSarfrazbugti) August 22, 2023

The incident occurred at GHS Batangi Pashto spot where the cable car was suspended at the height of approximately 600 feet and its sling spanned over 200 meters. The cable car was crossing over Jangri Khwar stream carrying eight students. Around 8:30 a.m., while the passengers were making their way to school, two of the main cables that regulated the movement of the cable car snapped due to a technical malfunction.

Makeshift cable cars are commonly used in eastern Mansehra, Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK), and Gilgit Baltistan, sometimes being the only alternative to traditional mediums of transportation in a topography that includes mountains and rivers. While there are no roads or schools in some of these areas, cable cars are the only means of travel for many.

Who were the people stuck in the cable car?

There were a total of eight passengers: seven students and one local. 20-year-old Gulfaraz spoke with Geo News over the phone while stuck in the cable car. According to him, the children were aged between 10 and 15. One boy had fainted because of fear and heat.

The students present in the cable car were Ibrar (son of Abdul Ghani), Irfan (son of Umraiz), Usama (Muhammad Sharif), Rizwan Ullah (son of Abdul Qayyum), Atta Ullah (son of Kifayat Ullah), Niaz Muhammad (Umar Zeb), and Sher Nawaz (son of Shah Nazar).

While these students were stuck and awaiting rescue, Geo News reported that the Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education Abbottabad had announced results. Three of the students to receive results were among the trapped passengers, including Attaullah, who obtained 442 marks; Niaz Mohammad, who secured 412 marks; and Usama, who took 391 numbers. All the three boys had been promoted to class 10.

The rescue operation

Even though the operation began near noon, the first boy was not rescued till late evening. The situation got tricky with wind picking up speed and the looming darkness. By nighttime, the military helicopter rescue operation was called off with only two children rescued till then. However, ground-based rescue operation began, with flood lights and a platform quickly built along the cable. In the hours that followed, all the passengers were successfully saved.