A horrifying incident high above the Mediterranean city of Antalya, Turkey, left 174 passengers stranded in cable cars after a terrible accident. The incident took place on the Tunektepe cable car system, just outside Antalya, spanning almost 23 hours from 5:30 p.m. on Friday, April 12, 2024. The rescue operation, a large-scale effort involving more than 607 personnel and ten helicopters, including those equipped with night vision, was successfully concluded by Saturday afternoon.
The accident started when a cable car pod hit a damaged pole, leading to it bursting open and throwing its passengers onto the rocky mountainside below. The crash resulted in the death of a 54-year-old Turkish man and injuries to at least seven others, including two children. The typically vibrant Antalya province during the Eid al-Fitr holiday turned into an emergency rescue scene.
Ali Yerlikaya, the Interior Minister, revealed that the rescue operation involved numerous teams. These included Turkey’s emergency response agency, AFAD, the Coast Guard, firefighting units, and mountain rescue groups from across the nation. He highlighted the crucial role of night-vision helicopters during the nighttime rescue operation.
The event was especially traumatic for the passengers stranded in the cable cars. Istanbul resident Hatice Polat recounted the terrifying moments when the power cut out, and the pod started to flip repeatedly. “There were children with us who fainted,” Polat told local media. “Being trapped up there for seven hours was agonizing. The constant swaying put us in perpetual fear… It was an extremely traumatic experience, and I’m not sure how we will recover from this trauma.”
The magnitude of the rescue operation was significant, with local media reporting that a combination of 607 rescue personnel worked relentlessly alongside the ten helicopters to ensure the safe retrieval of all stranded individuals. This included two children who were rescued by Coast Guard helicopters in critical condition.
According to information from its website, the cable car system, built in 2017, comprises 36 cabins, or pods, each accommodating six passengers. The average trip to the Tunektepe facility, offering a panoramic view of Antalya from 2,000 feet, lasts about nine minutes. Twenty-four of the cabins were stranded on Friday at the time of the accident.
As the investigation unfolds, Turkish prosecutors have detained 13 individuals linked with the cable car’s operation and maintenance, suggesting negligence regarding the cable car system’s maintenance. Initial reports suggest the tragedy stemmed from corrosion and damage at the connection points of the carrier poles and the rolling system, raising questions about the operating company’s regular maintenance and safety checks.
The landscape and the mechanical difficulties involved in the rescue added to the complexity of the situation. “Our teams worked under extremely challenging conditions, but their dedication and the sophisticated equipment available, including helicopters with night-vision capabilities, played a pivotal role in the success of this operation,” stated an official from AFAD.
Local leaders have vowed to perform a thorough review of all similar systems throughout the region to prevent such incidents in the future.
