ANTALYA, TURKEY – A devastating accident involving a cable car in southern Turkey resulted in one fatality and seven injuries on Friday. The incident occurred when a cable car pod collided with a pole, causing it to rupture and its occupants to plunge onto the mountainside. The malfunction caused the entire cable car system to come to a halt, leaving many stranded late into the evening.
Among the injured were two children, victims of the accident that took place at the Tunektepe cable car near the Mediterranean city of Antalya around 6 p.m. The incident happened during the peak of the Eid al-Fitr holiday, a time of high traffic for the cable car.
The deceased was identified as a 54-year-old Turkish man. The injured included six Turkish citizens and one individual from Kyrgyzstan. Five of the injured were airlifted from the mountain, while rescue efforts continued for the remaining two.
The rescue operation involved over 160 first responders, including air crews from the Coast Guard and mountaineering teams from various parts of Turkey. Meanwhile, approximately 184 passengers remained trapped in 25 other cable car pods, suspended high above the ground.
Rescue efforts extended into the night, with helicopters equipped with night vision imaging dispatched to the site. By midnight, six hours after the accident, 49 people had been rescued, leaving 135 still stranded.
The incident occurred on the final day of a three-day public holiday marking the end of Ramadan, a period during which families traditionally visit coastal resorts. The cable car, managed by Antalya Metropolitan Municipality, transports tourists from Konyaalti beach to a restaurant and viewing platform at the summit of the 618-meter Tunektepe peak.
An investigation into the incident has been initiated by the Antalya Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office, with an expert commission assigned to determine the cause of the accident.