All the 8 people trapped in the chairlift at UC Batangi Pashto of Tehsil Alai of District Butgram of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa were rescued safely.
6 school children and 2 teachers were trapped in UC Batangi Pashtu in Butgram district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa after the rope of the chairlift broke between two mountains in the morning.
Sling team of SSG, Helicopters of Pakistan Army Aviation started rescue operation in daylight to save these persons.
Initial attempts at the operation were unsuccessful, but after two failed attempts, rescue teams finally succeeded shortly before dark.
The rescue team rescued two children from a chairlift suspended in the air with the help of a helicopter, but the rescue operation was stopped after it got dark.
Apart from this, due to the strong wind in the area, many difficulties were encountered in the operation of the helicopter. As time passed, low light also added to the difficulties.
GOCSSG reached the accident site to supervise the rescue operation and directly supervised the Army rescue operation.
After dark, other methods of rescue of the children trapped in the chairlift were started, in which 3 more children were rescued.
However, ISPR now says that the operation has been completed and all persons have been safely rescued from the chairlift.
Extreme caution was taken in the rescue operation, various options were also considered to continue the operation in the darkness of night.
Pakistan Army had decided to continue the rescue operation even in the night.
It was told that another small dolly would be sent on the same rope and other people would be rescued through it.
Food items were also sent to these people by small dolly.
Caretaker Prime Minister Anwar-ul-Haq Kakar has congratulated the nation on the successful operation of Alai.
In his statement, the Caretaker Prime Minister said that he thanked Allah for rescuing all the people including the children.
He said that Pakistan Army, rescue agencies, district administration and local people showed excellent teamwork.
He said that the officers, personnel and volunteers involved in the rescue saved the lives of 8 families along with 8 precious lives.
Pak Army had brought local cable crossings experts from northern areas for the rescue operation.
The services of local cable crossings experts were also engaged.
2 out of the three ropes of the chairlift are broken
The chairlift has three ropes, two of which were broken. Locals use the lift to move from one mountain to another.
The place is 4 hours away from the district headquarters and the road in the hilly area is also very bad.
On the direction of the district administration, two rescue teams from Tehsil Alai and the district headquarters were dispatched to the spot.
PDMA while releasing the details related to the Bitgram chairlift incident said that the incident of 8 people getting stuck in the chairlift in Pashtu area took place at 8:30 am. The chairlift is installed on Jahangiri Khor, a rainwater channel in the middle of the mountains.
Among the 8 people trapped in the chairlift were Abrar, Irfan, Gul Faraz, Osama, Rizwanullah, Attaullah, Niaz Muhammad and Sher Nawaz.
According to PDMA, the chairlift is located at an altitude of about 2,000 meters.
Gulfraz, a student stuck in the lift, told Geo News that we have been stuck in the lift for 6 hours. There are strong winds around here, we have 7 students with us in critical condition.
The young man had also told Geonews at that time that one of the boys had a heart problem. He has been unconscious for three hours, show humanity, get us out of here safely.
Gulfraz said that we don’t have anything to eat or drink, the mobile phone battery is running out.
School teacher Zafar Iqbal had told about the chairlift journey that one and a half hundred children in this area come to school through this lift.
He said that this doli is used to go from one area to another in this area.
DIG Bitgram Tahir Ayub Khan said that we have also sent a chairlift expert, the lift is very high, there is a ditch below and it is difficult to set the net.
The result of 3 students of class 9 stuck in Bitgram chairlift came today.
Students Ataullah, Niaz Muhammad and Osama passed the exam.
The students are studying in 9th standard at Government High School Batangi Pashto Alai Batagram.
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