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*Indian Army, SDRF Lead Coordinated Rescue Operation After Gulmarg Gondola Malfunction*

The Indian Army and State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) are leading a coordinated rescue and evacuation operation at Gulmarg Gondola after a technical fault in the Gondola cable car system caused a sudden suspension of services between the Base Station and Phase-1 (Kongdori) on Monday, leaving multiple tourists stranded amid adverse weather conditions.

Following a distress call received from the Jammu and Kashmir Police and the Gondola Management Authority regarding the safety and evacuation of stranded tourists, the Indian Army swiftly swung into action and mobilised rescue teams towards the affected area. Troops from Butapathri Battalion side-stepped three Casualty Assistance Teams (CATs) between the Gondola Base Station and Phase-1, while the Army also staged forward its own All-Terrain Vehicle (ATV) to facilitate evacuation efforts in the challenging terrain and prevailing inclement weather conditions.

The SDRF, Jammu and Kashmir Police and other civil agencies also pitched in to support the rescue operation, while additional ATVs were coordinated through the Gulmarg ATV Association to augment evacuation efforts, as restoration of the Gondola system was expected to take time.

As per the latest update received at 1740 hours, a total of 65 cable cars were affected by the malfunction. Rescue teams successfully evacuated 14 cable cars from the Phase-1 side, rescuing 76 tourists, while 12 cable cars were evacuated from the Base Station side, leading to the rescue of another 72 persons. In total, 148 stranded tourists have been safely evacuated so far through the coordinated efforts of the Indian Army, SDRF, Jammu and Kashmir Police and other responding agencies.

Technical teams from the Gondola authorities are continuing to assess the exact nature and extent of the malfunction, while rescue and assistance operations remain underway.