A woman, 61, has died after a gondola at a ski resort plunged down a mountain, flipping several times, in a dramatic crash that took place when there were ‘strong winds’
The gondola flipped several times before crashing (Image: AFP)
A woman was killed when a ski gondola crashed down a mountain at a popular ski resort.
The gondola tumbled down at Engelberg ski resort in the Swiss Alps on Wednesday morning, March 18.
Police in the central Swiss canton of Nidwalden said the gondola detached from the cable “for reasons that are still unclear” at about 11:00am local time.
Ensure our latest headlines always appear at the top of your Google Search by making us a Preferred Source. Click here to activate or add us as your Preferred Source in your Google search settings.
One woman died in the horror crash(Image: AFP)
There were strong winds at the time of the crash, according to eyewitnesses. Video footage has emerged that shows the gondola tumble down Mt Titlis and flip several times.
The woman has been identified as a 61-year-old from the region and the cause of the crash is now being investigated.
The police confirmed she was the only passenger in the Titlis Xpress cart when it detached from the cable.
It had just departed from the Trübsee station and was climbing the middle section of the mountain when the crash occurred.
Air rescue service, ambulances and police officers all attended the rescue operation.
According to news.com one skier reported “strong winds” and seeing a “jerk” before the cable crashed.
The managers of the ski lifts shared their shock at the crash and director Norbert Patt said “our thoughts are with the victim’s loved ones”.
Beren Akkaya, a school child at a local ski camp, also witnessed the crash. The 14-year-old said: “I was really shocked. We were then afraid to go back down in the gondola.”
The cable car service was suspended and between 100 and 200 passengers were believed to be brought to safety from roughly 40 gondolas.