Over 300 tourists rescued after Gulmarg Gondola halts mid-operation in Jammu and Kashmir

Over 300 tourists were safely rescued after a technical snag halted operations of the Gulmarg Gondola in Jammu and Kashmir triggering a swift response from rescue teams and authorities on siteJammu and Kashmir DGP Nalin Prabhat said on Tuesday that it was a proud moment for him to stand with the teams of rescuers who undertook the most challenging task by safely rescuing 320 people from the stranded cable car cabins in GulmargldquoHonestly speaking I didnrsquot believe we could complete the task before midnight It is a proud moment for me to stand with yourdquo the DGP told personnel from the Jammu and Kashmir Police SDRF NDRF Army and local rescue teams reported IANSMultiagency teams carried out sixhour rescue operationThe police chief said teams from Gulmarg Police Station were the first to reach the site and were soon joined by the Army Jammu and Kashmir Armed Police NDRF SDRF and local rescuersldquoAll of them worked in the most coordinated and professional manner to successfully complete the rescue operation and bring down 320 stranded peoplerdquo he said reported IANSSpecial DGP Javaid Mujtaba Gilani Special DG and Commandant General Home Guards Abdul Ghani Mir IGP Kashmir VK Birdi and other senior police officers were also present during the rescue operationRescue operation in mountainous terrain posed major challengePrabhat said rescue operations in mountainous terrain and adverse weather conditions were far more difficult than operations conducted on the groundldquoThe rescue of people stranded inside cable car cabins in difficult mountainous terrain amid bad weather was an extremely challenging taskrdquo he said the news agency reportedldquoWe in Jammu and Kashmir Police have always been given the toughest challenges and we have always successfully completed themrdquo the DGP addedDG Commendation medals announced for rescuersThe DGP congratulated personnel from Gulmarg Police Station SOG Jammu and Kashmir Armed Police Mountain Rescue Teams MRTs SDRF and other agencies for their extraordinary efforts during the sixhourlong operationldquoYou may be tired hungry and thirsty but I am sure all of you are happy because you were given a purpose today and you achieved successrdquo he told the rescuersPrabhat further announced that every individual involved in the operation would receive the DG Commendation Medal in recognition of their bravery and dedicationHe added that rescuers who had already received DG commendation certificates would be rewarded through other means including promotions and other recognitionsApplause to Indiarsquos disaster response forces HM Amit ShahPraising the swift rescue operation in Gulmarg Amit Shah on Monday lauded the efforts of disaster response and security forces for safely evacuating stranded tourists from cable carsApplause to Indiarsquos disaster response forces for safely rescuing 300 tourists stranded midair in cable cars in Gulmarg Kashmir The disaster response teams comprising the SDRF NDRF Army personnel local police and the administration swung into action and rescued all thehellipmdash Amit Shah AmitShah May 25 2026Taking to X Shah said ldquoApplause to Indiarsquos disaster response forces for safely rescuing 300 tourists stranded midair in cable cars in Gulmarg KashmirrdquoHe added that teams from the SDRF NDRF Army local police and the administration carried out a sixhourlong operation to rescue all passengers stranded in 65 cable carsldquoThe nation salutes the forces for their valour and skillrdquo Shah saidWith IANS inputs