110 tourists rescued after being trapped in Mont Blanc cable cars for hours

A total of 110 tourists have been safely rescued after being trapped in Mont Blanc cable cars nearly a day this week, reports said.

Dozens of them even stayed overnight in the cable cars dangling at some 3,600 meters altitude above the slopes of Mont Blanc in the Alps.

The cables stopped working around 4 p.m. local time on Thursday because of tangling due to high winds.

French Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve said four helicopters were deployed and they rescued 65 people before efforts were suspended for the night.

The extent of the rescue operation is so large that helicopters rarely rescue 110 people at the same time in high mountain.

Helicopters had to fly cautiously over the cable, lower a rescuer, strap on passengers one by one and extract them.

Five rescuers were transported to the site and spent the night with those who were trapped in cable cars. They brought in water, food and blankets.

The cable cars resumed operation Friday morning after being repaired, and the travellers were brought to the French town of Chamonix and the Italian town of Courmayeur.

The Panoramic Cable car is operated in the summer season, while another series of cable cars take tourists to the peak of the Aiguille de Midi year-round.

Source : XINHUA