Inquiry committee into Gulmarg Gondola mishap recommends extra rescue wheel, training for guides as first responders

The inquiry committee into the Gondola mishap, which left 300 tourists stuck mid-air in cabins for six hours on May 25 this year, has called for an extra layer of rescue options and recommended training in vertical rescue operations for guides and photographers “to become the first responders”. Meanwhile, a French team from the Poma company, which installed the cable car, will brief the committee too. 

Officials said the preliminary inquiry report into the mishap has identified a few gaps in the rescue services of Gondola, Gulmarg, in north Kashmir’s Baramulla district, which is Asia’s highest cable car at an altitude of 8,694 feet. It suggested an additional rescue bull wheel independent of the current section of the bull wheel and gearbox, which runs the cable over towering pylon through pine-dotted forests and rugged mountains. 

“The second layer of the rescue bull wheel will become active when the system fails and will allow rescue operations independently and smoothly,” said the officials, privy to the inquiry report.

It also recommended training in vertical rescue operations, which are rope-based rescues, for registered ski guides, tourist guides, photographers and pony owners. “The idea is that these service providers should become the first responders in case of any exigency,” said the officials. Around 100 locals are registered with the tourism department to provide these services to tourists.

Meanwhile, the gearbox that developed a snag on May 25 was shifted to Delhi and was being handled by Poma, a French company which manufactures cable-driven lift systems. It’s likely to be put in service again this month. Poma has laid down maintenance standards based on the number of working hours in a year. Officials said the service becomes a necessity after 1,000 to 7,500 hours per year and depends on whether the system serves a ski resort, tourist attraction, or public urban transit network. A French team from the company will also meet the inquiry committee in Srinagar on Wednesday (September 30, 2026) and brief them on the functioning and maintenance of the cable car.      

Gondola witnessed a major vertical rescue operation on May 25 this year after it developed a fault, leaving 300 tourists dangling in cabins for six hours. The State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), alongside the Indian Army and J&K Police, used ropes and ladders to bring down the panic-stricken tourists to the ground in the first phase. J&K Chief Minister Omar Abdullah had ordered an inquiry into the incident.

Set up in 1998, Gondola has two phases of rides: one from Gulmarg to Kongdoori (10-minute ride) and another from Kongdoori to Apharwat (12-minute ride), with the highest point located at an altitude of 4,390 metres (14,403 feet). Official sources said the first phase has 63 cabins, with each cabin having a carrying capacity of six persons. The second phase is the toughest, and the rescue operation could need specialised manpower and choppers to carry out a rescue operation in case of any major fault, officials said.

Gondola is a major tourist attraction in Kashmir. Around 10 lakh tourists took the Gondola ride in 2024 and generated a revenue of ₹108 crores.