Cable car accident kills one in Turkey’s Antalya

Duvar English

A cable car accident in the southern province of Antalya’s Konyaaltı district killed one person on April 12, state-run Anadolu Agency reported.

Accordingly, a cable car cabin crashed into a fallen cable car pole, killing 54-year-old Memiş Gümüş and injuring 10, including two children. 

One of the poles in the Tünektepe Cable Car Facility, run by the Antalya Metropolitan Municipality, fell for an undetermined reason. The 8 people in the cabin, which broke apart after hitting the fallen pole, fell into a rocky area.

Fire, police, health, and rescue teams were dispatched to the accident area. The injured were evacuated from the area by a Coast Guard helicopter.

On the other hand, 168 people, who were trapped in the 24 airborne cabins as the cable car system stopped after the accident, have been rescued.

Main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) leader Özgür Özel said they assigned 10 MPs to investigate the accident and that they will inform the public "in detail" after the rescue.

Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya said in a social media post that a gendarmerie helicopter with night flight capability took off from Aydın province for the evacuation of people.

The Turkish Disaster Management Agency (AFAD) also said rescue operations were carried out with 150 personnel, including professional mountaineers.

The Antalya Governor's Office said 59 people had been rescued as of 0.40 a.m. on April 13 and the rescue operations were ongoing in 14 cabins.

Second mining accident strikes Turkey in two weeksDomestic

Elevator accidents continue to persist in Turkish state-run dormsDomestic