Deoghar Ropeway Accident: Rescue Operation Ends After 46 Hours, Three Dead | Top Points

The rescue operation evacuating tourists trapped in cable cars in Jharkhand’s Deoghar district has come to an end, after 46 hours. As many as 47 persons who were trapped on a ropeway have been rescued

More than 60 people were stuck on a ropeway at Trikut Hills following a collision between cable cars due to a technical snag on April 10, 2022 | Photo: ANI

New Delhi: The rescue operation evacuating tourists trapped in cable cars in Jharkhand’s Deoghar district has come to an end, after 46 hours. As many as 47 persons who were trapped on a ropeway at Trikut Hills have been rescued.

Two tourists fell to their deaths from helicopters during botched rescue attempts on Monday and Tuesday, media reports said. Overall, three persons, including two women, died in the accident. 

1. One of the two women fell off a helicopter while the rescue operation was being carried out, and was declared dead at the hospital.

The woman has been identified as 60-year-old Shobha Devi, Deoghar Civil Surgeon C K Shahi said.

2. For around 40 hours, 15 tourists remained trapped  mid-air on the ropeway at Trikut Hills. Of these, 14 were rescued by Indian Air Force helicopters, bringing an end to the operations. 

“Of the remaining 15 people trapped in cable cars, 14 have been rescued while a woman fell off the chopper during the course of rescue operation,” Additional Director General of Police R K Mallick was quoted as saying in a report by news agency PTI.

3. Mallick said that the evacuated people have been sent to the hospital, and will be examined there. 

4. The IAF carried out a rescue operation of stranded passengers on the Trikut Hills ropeway in Deoghar on April 11 and April 12. During the activity, IAF Mi-17V5 and ALH Mk III helicopters flew 28 sorties for 26 hours, the IAF said in an update on Twitter Tuesday.

#IAF carried out rescue of stranded passengers on the Trikut Hills ropeway in Deoghar district of Jharkhand on 11 & 12 Apr 22. #IAF Mi-17V5 & ALH Mk III heptrs flew 28 sorties & 26 hrs during this activity.

— Indian Air Force (@IAF_MCC) April 12, 2022

As many as 35 passengers from 10 cable cars were evacuated in this extremely challenging operation, the IAF said. 

35 passengers from 10 cable cars were evacuated in this extremely challenging operation. #IAF deeply regrets the loss of two lives during the rescue missions.

— Indian Air Force (@IAF_MCC) April 12, 2022

5. More than 60 people were stuck on the ropeway following a collision between cable cars due to a technical snag on April 10, 2022. They were evacuated with the help of two IAF helicopters. 

6. Meanwhile, 12 injured people are undergoing treatment at hospitals.

7. The IAF, Army, Indo-Tibetan Border Police, National Disaster Response Force and the district administration had jointly conducted the rescue operation.

8. Drones were being used to supply food and water to the stranded people.

9. Hemant Soren, the chief minister of Jharkhand, has announced a high-level probe into the incident. “The state government is keeping a close watch on the situation,” Soren said.

10. Ramesh Bais, the governor of Jharkhand, has expressed deepest condolences to the families of the deceased. He has also prayed for the speedy recovery of the injured victims.

According to the Jharkhand Tourism Department, the Trikut ropeway is India’s highest vertical ropeway, and is around 766-metre long.