Jharkhand op ends; dozens stuck in air for 40 hrs, 2 die while being rescued

The rescue operation in Jharkhand's cable car accident ended after the remaining 15 tourists were evacuated from the dangling ropeway trolleys on Tuesday, according to people familiar with the development. The tourists were rescued by Indian Air Force (IAF) choppers that resumed the rescue operation on early Tuesday morning. The rescue operation was conducted by the combined teams of IAF, Army, Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP), National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and the district administration.

Dozens of people were trapped mid-air after cable cars connecting the Trikut Hills in Deoghar collided on Sunday 4pm.

Deoghar Deputy Commissioner Manjunath Bhajantri said rescue operations, which had to be stopped after sunset, were resumed early morning so that the remaining trapped people could be evacuated. The densely forested area surrounded by hills and trolleys dangling at heights of up to 1500 feet made it difficult for the ground teams to rescue the stranded people. The trapped tourists had to be airlifted from Mi-17 helicopters of the Indian Air Force.

Three persons have died in the accident so far, including two who fell to their death during a botched helicopter rescue attempt.

The district administration said that the cable cars were being operated by a private company and the operators fled the area shortly after the accident.

Jharkhand High Court has taken suo moto cognisance of the accident and directed the state government to file a reply by April 25.

Chief minister Hemant Soren ordered a high-level probe into the mishap and said the administration was keeping a close eye on the rescue operation. 

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."