Dozens trapped after cable car failure over Alps

[webfact]

Dozens trapped after cable car failure over Alps

 

 

CHAMONIX: -- Dozens of tourists have been forced to spend the night stuck in cable-cars above the French Alps following a major mechanical problem.

 

Officials say 110 people were initially left trapped late on late on Thursday afternoon. While the majority were airlifted to safety, 45 people were left stranded overnight after the rescue operation was suspended due to falling light.

 

The incident took place near Chamonix, close to Mont Blanc, on a cable connecting the Aiguille du Midi resort in France to Italy’s Punta Helbronner. The attraction rises to an altitude of nearly 4000 metres, offering panoramic views of Western Europe’s highest peak.

 

Officials have said food, water and survival blankets were given to the trapped until the rescue operation resumed early on Friday morning.

 

-- © Copyright Euronews 2016-09-09

[ddavidovsky]

I imagine the toilet situation was the biggest problem, knowing how people are totally toiletarily territorial.

[how241]

Wow,  what a experience.

[natway09]

No thanks

[JetsetBkk]

6 hours ago, ddavidovsky said:

I imagine the toilet situation was the biggest problem, knowing how people are totally toiletarily territorial.

 

Fortunately, there wouldn't be many people below looking up.

[ddavidovsky]

2 hours ago, JetsetBkk said:

 

Fortunately, there wouldn't be many people below looking up.

 

I suspect it was impossible to open the doors or windows enough to stick your bum out.  I guess they would have rigged up a little curtain in the corner, done it on some pages of a magazine, bundled it up and somehow pushed it out of a ventilation crack.

Fascinating.

[JetsetBkk]

2 hours ago, ddavidovsky said:

 

I suspect it was impossible to open the doors or windows enough to stick your bum out.

I guess they would have rigged up a little curtain in the corner, done it on some pages of a magazine, bundled it up and somehow pushed it out of a ventilation crack.

Fascinating.

 

Have you been in one of these cable car incidents before?

[tifino]

 

There's always a way out - just ask James Bond

[White Christmas13]

17 minutes ago, JetsetBkk said:

 

Have you been in one of these cable car incidents before?

Yes I have, you can not open the door since the car has lost

power ( that was a few years ago )

[JetsetBkk]

2 hours ago, ddavidovsky said:

 

I suspect it was impossible to open the doors or windows enough to stick your bum out.  I guess they would have rigged up a little curtain in the corner, done it on some pages of a magazine, bundled it up and somehow pushed it out of a ventilation crack.

Fascinating.

 

3 minutes ago, White Christmas13 said:

22 minutes ago, JetsetBkk said:

 

Have you been in one of these cable car incidents before?

Yes I have, you can not open the door since the car has lost

power ( that was a few years ago )

 

And did you use the "curtain/magazine/ventilation crack" method of ddavidovsky? 

[White Christmas13]

Are you for real ?

[tifino]

 

why am I now visualising brown-furred highly strung lemmings, all scurrying for the highest point...?

 

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[jerome2]

im alergic to small cablcar and lifts... without 4 litter of water i never go specialy on fridays... a hotel staff in italy ... Oh you afraid of lift, my father was stuck 8 h in one...

[ddavidovsky]

Pleased to hear they got them all down after a very hairy rescue operation.

 

The cable cars were small - only 4 people in each one - not what I imagined. The picture in the OP is inaccurate.