A passenger has died after a cable car detached and tumbled down the side of a Swiss mountain in a dramatic accident captured on video.
Footage from the scene shows the gondola hurtling down the steep slope before flipping over several times as it crashes through the snow-covered mountainside.
A separate clip filmed shortly after the incident shows emergency responders attempting to revive the victim while stunned holidaymakers watch from a distance.
Later images revealed the gondola’s wreckage, mangled at the bottom of the slope, its structure twisted and bent beyond recognition after the fall.
Emergency crews rushed to the crash site. A rescue helicopter was dispatched to the area while authorities began evacuating other skiers and visitors from nearby gondolas as a precaution.
Witnesses described the moment the cable car became detached from the line. “It just came off the cable and started rolling,” a witness said. “There was a strong wind. Then there was a jerk, and the cable moved.
“Finally the cable crashed.” According to reports, only one passenger was in the gondola when the accident occurred. Rescuers worked at the scene in an attempt to save the individual, performing CPR for an extended period before transporting the victim to the hospital.
“They tried to resuscitate them for around 30 minutes”, the witness added. The passenger was later rushed to a nearby hospital but died from their injuries despite efforts by doctors. Reports suggest the gondola had been allowed to operate even as strong winds swept across the region.
Wind gusts exceeding 80 kilometres per hour were recorded in some areas at the time of the incident, raising questions about operating conditions on the mountain. The fatal accident comes amid several recent cable car and ski lift incidents in Europe.
In December, six people were injured in Italy after a gondola crashed into a station barrier at the Monte Moro mountain station of the Macugnaga cable car. Investigators believe the gondola may have arrived at the station too quickly, leading to the collision.
Those injured were treated by medics at the scene before being transported to a local hospital by air ambulance. Around 100 people were also temporarily stranded following the crash.
Just a week earlier, another fatal incident occurred in Montenegro when a ski lift chair came loose and slid around 230 feet backwards, crashing into the seat behind it.
A 34-year-old German tourist fell from the lift and was pronounced dead at the scene at the Savin Kuk resort near the mountain town of Žabljak. Authorities said a full technical examination of the lift would be carried out.
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