33 people trapped overnight in cable cars high over the glaciers of Mont Blanc in the Alps have finally been brought down to safety.
ADVERTISEMENT33 people trapped overnight in cable cars high over the glaciers of Mont Blanc in the Alps have finally been brought down to safety.
Emergency workers scrambled at first light on Friday to rescue those stranded, who included a child.
Les derniers passagers bloqués dans le télécabine panoramique Mont-Blanc ont été évacués #Chamonix
PGHMchamonix</a> <a href="https://t.co/RjLgePghOi">pic.twitter.com/RjLgePghOi</a></p>— Préfet Haute-Savoie (Prefet74) September 9, 2016
Dozens of tourists were forced to spend the night stuck in cable-cars above the French Alps following a major mechanical problem.
Officials say 110 people were initially left trapped late on late on Thursday afternoon. While the majority were airlifted to safety, 45 people were left stranded overnight after the rescue operation was suspended due to falling light.
The incident took place near Chamonix, close to Mont Blanc, on a cable connecting the Aiguille du Midi resort in France to Italy’s Punta Helbronner. The attraction rises to an altitude of nearly 4000 metres, offering panoramic views of Western Europe’s highest peak.
Officials have said food, water and survival blankets were given to the trapped until the rescue operation resumed early on Friday morning.