F.P. Report
BATTAGRAM: All trapped children rescued by the Pakstan Army teams from a cable car, which have been dangling mid air on a ravine after breaking of its cable at tehsil Allai on Tuesday, said ISPR.
The army’s rescue operation continued and all children were rescued,” said ISPR in its latest update. General Officer Commanding, Special Services Group was leading the rescue operation. A total of eight persons including seven school children and a teacher traveling in the ill fated cable car were dangling mid-air after cable of a gondola broke at Allai Tehsil of Batagram district at a height of 6,000 feet passing on a ravine.
Those who were stuck in the cable car lift include Abrar, Irfan, Usama, Rizwan Ullah, Ataullah, Niaz Muhammad, Sher Nawaz and Gul Faraz. The services of local cable crossings expert were also obtained for safe evacuation of the children and a local person.
Following the incident, helicopters of the Pakistan Army Aviation and the Pakistan Air Force participated in the rescue operation along with the SSG troops. The rescue mission was complicated at night due to gusty winds and darkness in the area, said ISPR.
According to reports the incident seven schoolchildren and a local person were travelling in the cable car to go to the Batangi Government High School. One cable of the gondola broke at around 7:45am which led to the cable car being stranded mid-air. Battagram’s Deputy Commissioner contacted Hazara’s Commissioner after he received report about the incident. The DC asked for the arrangement of a helicopters that was swiftly reached at the location to rescue the trapped people.
Emergency has been imposed at the nearby health centres while doctors at District Headquarter Hospital (DHQ) Battagram has also been put on high alert. The local residents and families of the trapped children rushed to the site after the report of the incident and called for the rescue operations.
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Governor, Haji Ghulam Ali directed Chief Secretary and Commissioner Hazara division for taking emergency measures for safe evacuation and rescue of trapped children. The Governor also inquired about the well being of the trapped children and directed emergency utalization of all available resources for their safe rescue. Senator Abdul Ghafoor Haideri also telephoned the governor and inquired about the health of children besides rescue efforts.
The Governor said all the concerned organizations and district administration were jointly taking part in rescue operation and helicopter was also moved to Batagram for rescue of all children. The elders of Batagram thanked the governor for speedy start of the rescue operation.
The Governor assured that the rescue operation would soon be completed. Caretaker Chief Minister, Muhammad Azam Khan while taking notice of cable car incident directed the Chief Secretary KP and Commissioner Hazara division to take urgent measures for rescue of all trapped people.
The Chief Minister remained in close contact with with the divisional and district administration and get updates about Rescue Operation in the day. He said that all resources were being used including helicopters for the safe rescue of the trapped people.
Caretaker Prime Minister Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar on Tuesday directed the rescue agencies to ensure immediate evacuation of eight school children and teachers stranded in a chairlift in Pashto area of Battagram.
The prime minister has directed National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) and all other relevant rescue agencies to utilize all out resources to ensure safe rescue of the students and teachers.
He also instructed to ensure safety arrangements on all such chairlifts in hilly areas. The prime minister directed to immediately close all such chairlifts that were in poor and dilapidated conditions.
