An army helicopter has arrived in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Battagram where six schoolchildren are among eight people stuck in a cable car after one of its wires snapped early morning on Tuesday.
The incident occurred early morning at 8am when the six students and two locals were on the way to school, according to Allai tehsil Chairman Mufti Gulamullah.
However, a local teacher speaking to Geo News, Zafar Iqbal, estimated that the children were stuck since 7am.
Two wires of the cable car snapped, leaving the passengers stuck at a height of approximately 3,000 feet, Gulamullah said, adding that the cable was privately run by locals for transportation across the river as there were no roads or bridges in the area.
Allai Assistant Commissioner Jawad Hussain told Dawn.com that the local administration along with Rescue 1122 teams were present at the spot, but due to the height and the hilly area, it was not possible for the rescue officials to carry out a relief operation.
A little before noon, nearly four hours after the children got stuck, television footage showed a Pakistan Army helicopter arriving at the site while local school teacher Zafar Iqbal confirmed the same to Geo News.
In a post on X (formerly Twitter), the interior ministry said that interim Interior Minister Sarfraz Bugti had issued directives to speed up the operation.
It further said that upon the instructions of caretaker Prime Minister Anwaarul Haq Kakar, the Pakistan Army was requested to join the rescue efforts. “All resources be put to use during the rescue operation,” it added.
Lack of roads
Iqbal said the children were stuck in the cable car for the past four to five hours. He explained that at least 150 students took the hazardous journey to school by cable car every day due to the lack of road facilities in the area.
“The stranded children have a mobile phone and we have found out that one of the students has fainted out of fear,” Iqbal added.
Separately, DPO Sonia Shamroz highlighted the need for maintaining cable cars and chairlifts in the area because of their frequent use.
This is a developing story that is being updated as the situation evolves. Initial reports in the media can sometimes be inaccurate. We will strive to ensure timeliness and accuracy by relying on credible sources such as concerned, qualified authorities and our staff reporters.
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