ISTANBUL, TURKEY – After an arduous 23-hour rescue effort on a mountain in southern Turkey, the last of 174 individuals left stranded in cable cars was brought to safety on Saturday. The harrowing situation began when one of the cars collided with a pole and burst open on Friday evening, resulting in one death and seven injuries as passengers fell to the rocks below, according to Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya.

The comprehensive rescue mission involved a significant deployment of resources, including 607 search and rescue personnel and 10 helicopters from various national agencies such as Turkey’s AFAD, the Coast Guard, fire brigades, and mountain rescue units. The teams worked steadily through the night to evacuate passengers from the Tunektepe cable car line outside Antalya, utilizing helicopters equipped with night-vision technology.

Among those rescued was Istanbul resident Hatice Polat and her family, who were saved seven hours after the pod they were in lost power and tumbled multiple times. Polat recounted the terrifying experience to Anadolu agency, describing the ordeal as torture and expressing concern over the long-term psychological effects of the trauma.

The deceased was identified by the state-run Anadolu Agency as a 54-year-old Turkish man, while the injured included six Turkish citizens and one Kyrgyz national, two of whom were children. They received immediate medical attention after being airlifted by Coast Guard helicopters. Media outlets have circulated images capturing the damaged pod and the emergency response on the mountainous terrain.

In the wake of the incident, 13 individuals from other pods were also hospitalised for evaluations, as announced by Yerlikaya.

Coinciding with the last day of Turkey’s three-day Ramadan holiday, the accident occurred during a time when families traditionally visit coastal resorts. The Tunektepe cable car is a prominent tourist attraction, transporting people from Konyaalti beach to a hilltop restaurant and viewing area.

Managed by the Antalya Metropolitan Municipality, the aerial transport system was established in 2017 and regularly undergoes major and routine inspections. In light of the tragedy, the Antalya Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office has initiated an inquiry and appointed a panel of specialists, including mechanical and electrical engineers, alongside occupational safety experts, to ascertain the cause of the catastrophic failure.