Cable slips, 8 trolleys of Jakhu ropeway derail

Bhanu P Lohumi

Tribune News Service

Shimla, December 23

A cable car came hurtling down a house as seven more hung precariously when the cable of Jakhu ropeway, 200 metres from the Ridge, slipped this afternoon. There was no casualty.

The mishap occurred during the trial check of alignment with eight cable cars on the rope, four going up and four coming down. The cable slipped near Shivalik Hotel. One carriage was knocked out while three hung from the loose cable, merely 1 ft above the roof of a house.

A shaken Roopmesh, who was inside the house, said, “There was a deafening sound as a cable car hit the house. When I came out, I saw a car on the edge of the roof."

He claimed that although he informed the police at once, help reached after more than two hours. Neither the police nor officers of Jagsons International (executing the project) responded immediately,” he said. Sonu, a contractor working in a nearby house, said he saw the cable cars swinging vigorously and one falling on the house.

Sugant Mazumdar, project engineer, said the cable car may have been caught in branches of a tree and slipped owing to the impact of the collision."

“As it was a test check for alignment, there were no passengers. The cable cars weigh about 480 kg each”, he said, adding the cause of the mishap would be ascertained.

The police have registered a case under Sections 336 and 427 of the IPC (for endangering life/personal safety and mischief) against the ropeway operators.

The cables and cable cars have been imported from a reputed Swiss company. The test check for alignment will continue for 15 days after which trial runs will begin, say sources.