The rescue mission to rescue people trapped in a malfunctioning cable car for more than 6 hours in KP's Battagram has begun.


The military forces have began a rescue effort in Battagram, Khyber Pakhunkhwa, where six pupils are among eight individuals trapped in a cable vehicle after two of its cables snapped early Tuesday morning.

According to onlooker Javed, two helicopters landed at the scene at 1:45pm. 

According to Allai Assistant Commissioner Jawad Hussain, the helicopters belonged to the Pakistan Army and the Pakistan Air Force.


"If the second helicopter fails to rescue the passengers, Rescue 1122 teams will make efforts from the ground via a snorkel," he told Dawn.com. "We've also called locals from Shangla's Besham who have previous experience conducting similar rescue operations near the Diamer Bhasha dam."

Meanwhile, Rescue 1122 teams are attempting to spread nets.

The military's fast response unit and Special Service Group (SSG) commandos have also been deployed to the area, according to DawnNewsTV.

The event happened in the Allai tehsil early in the morning, between 8 and 7 a.m., when six pupils and two residents were on their way to school.

They became caught when two cable car cables snapped, according to the assistant commissioner, who added that the cable car was privately owned by residents for transit over rivers because there were no roads or bridges in the area.


The exact height at which the passengers are stranded is unknown. It was expected to be 1,000-2,000 feet by the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA).

AC Hussain told Dawn.com that the local administration and Rescue 1122 teams were present at the scene, but due to the height and rough terrain, rescue personnel were unable to carry out a relief operation.

He stated that as soon as the issue was reported, a request for a helicopter to rescue the passengers was forwarded to the province chief secretary.

A Pakistan Army chopper arrived at the spot shortly before noon, about four hours after the children became trapped, according to television footage, and local schoolteacher Zafar Iqbal verified the same to Geo News.