Deoghar cable car mishap: Woman falls to death during rescue operation, watch

A woman fell during the rescue operations at Jharkhand`s Deoghar ropeway after her rope broke. She was immediately rushed to the hospital for treatment where she was declared brought dead.

Deoghar: A woman who was among those stranded in one of the cable cars that collided in Jharkhand’s Deoghar ropeway, fell during the rescue operations after her rope broke. She was immediately rushed to the hospital for treatment where she was declared brought dead.

As per reports, the woman hailed from Jhausagarhi. Her son-in-law and others were waiting for her on the ground when the unfortunate incident happened.

Meanwhile, tens of the 15 tourists who remained trapped mid-air in cable cars connecting the Trikut Hills in Jharkhand's Deoghar district for about 40 hours were rescued by Indian Air Force choppers that resumed rescue operations early on Tuesday morning.

Nearly 50 people have been rescued so far from cable cars which were left dangling mid-air after a malfunction of the ropeway which saw trolley cars colliding on Sunday 4 pm. 

At least three people have lost their lives after cable cars were left dangling mid-air due to a malfunction of the ropeway which resulted in trolley cars colliding on Sunday. 12 persons others who were injured are being treated at hospitals.

Rescue operations by the combined teams of the Indian Air Force, Army, ITBP, NDRF and Deoghar district administration have now concluded after about 45 hours of the mishap.

Rescue operations were started by the teams of the Air Force, Indian Army, NDRF, ITBP and local administration early Tuesday so that the remaining trapped people could be rescued.

Rescue operations had to be stopped after sunset as the ropeway runs through a picturesque yet densely forested area surrounded by hills, access to which is difficult except by air. Also making rescue from the ground difficult is the fact that the trolleys are suspended at heights of up to 1500 feet.

Meanwhile, Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren announced a high-level probe into the mishap and said the administration was keeping a close vigil on the rescue operation.

The rescued passengers were airlifted with the help of two Indian Air Force helicopters. Drones were used to supply food and water to those who remain trapped mid-air in the cable cars. "The government is keeping a close watch on the situation," CM Soren said.

Jharkhand Governor Ramesh Bais had said, "The accident on the ropeway built on Trikut mountain of Deoghar, a world-famous religious place, is very sad and painful. I express my deepest condolences to the families of the deceased and pray to Baba Baidyanath for the speedy recovery of the injured."

BJP vice-president and former Jharkhand chief minister Raghubar Das had accused the state government of being inactive, even after such a major accident, and claimed that ministers hailing from the region did not visit the site.

The area which boasts of the famous Trikutachal Mahadeva Temple and the hermitage of Sage Dayananda, Trikut Hills has several peaks, with the highest Peak at a height of 2,470 feet from the sea level and around about 1500 feet from the ground.

The Trikut ropeway, according to the Jharkhand tourism department, is India's highest vertical ropeway. It is around 766-metre long. 

(With PTI Inputs)