Life hangs by a thread. Chairlift saga should stir authorities from slumber!

Every citizen remained glued to TV screens with murmur of prayers for hours

By Hassaan Ahmed 

LAHORE - Life is unpredictible. It hangs by a thread which can be snapped anytime - something which has been borne out by Tuesday's nerve-wracking experience the nation went through when schoolchildren and a teacher were stranded for hours together in a cable car. 

The saga was livestreamed or telecast the whole day through, making households in every nook and cranny of the country pray for those who stuck in the middle of nowhere after two of the cables of the chairlift they were travelling by snapped. Thankfully, all efforts - both at state level and in personal capacity - culminated in rescue of all those on board the travel facility.  

From the chief minister to the prime minister, from air force to army, all the bigwigs got engaged in rescuing the students and their teacher in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa's Battagram. 

But it wasn’t just the country’s leadership and high echelons; everyone remained glued to TV screens for hours while praying for the safety of all the stranded passengers.

SSG Commandos Completed The rescue Operation All 8 Rescued, Alhamdulillah ️#All8 #Battagram #BattagramChairlift pic.twitter.com/UXihV3Oa21

— Kashif Amin (@KashifA70956873) August 23, 2023

A highly-trained team of army began efforts to rescue the teachers and schoolchildren stranded mid-air in Allai Pashto area. The army sprang into action and sent a team of the Special Services Group which launched the sling operation. The commandoes were sent from Peshawar. Another helicopter joined the rescue operation later according to media reports.

In all, three helicopters manned by trained commandoes operated for hours to achieve the objective of rescuing the stranded people. 

Challenges to surmount  

Those in the know of the efforts undertaken to rescue the stranded people said it was a "unique operation" and had to be carried out with a great deal of caution and precision as the helicopters had to be carefully taken to the place to avoid unnecessary air pressure near the chairlift. 

They said the rescue operation could take time and any hasty decision could prove counter-productive as it involved human lives. Many lives were on the line for 14 long hours before the rescuers spearheaded by the Pakistan Army successfully saved the seven children and a teacher.

Some locals from Shangla’s Besham were also hired who were expert in such operations. They also played a vital role in the saving the day for the country. 

Pak army at its best — saving the lives pic.twitter.com/QOTRhNjeOL

— Kamran Shahid (@FrontlineKamran) August 22, 2023

It was 900 feet (274 metres) above a ravine in Battagram district. The General Officer Commanding (GOC) of the Pakistan Army’s Special Services Group (SSG) led the rescue operation.

Eventually, two of the children were airlifted by a helicopter in a sling operation and others were rescued through the ground operation as the helicopter operation was called off in the night. 

Among other challenges, officials said, the rescue mission was complicated by gusty winds in the area and the helicopters' rotor blades risked destabilising the cable car.

This is how passengers were rescued, salute to this young lad for putting his life at risk to save others ️#Battagram pic.twitter.com/X7LZXAYap9

— شهزاد خان (@i_shazaad) August 23, 2023

First-hand information 

Gulfraz, one of those trapped in the chairlift, told media that one of the children had been unconscious for quite some time as he had cardiac issues.

He said the chairlift was precariously hung as strong wind was blowing and an immediate rescue operation was the need of the hour.

The people stranded in the chairlift were identified as Ibrar, Irfan, Gulfraz, Usama, Rizwanullah, Attaullah, Niaz Muhammad and Sher Nawaz.

لفٹ میں پھنسے بچے کسی کے جگر کے ٹکڑے ہیں، بلکل اسی طرح رسی سے لٹکا یہ نوجوان بھی کسی کا بیٹا ہے لیکن حقیقی معنوں میں یہ اس دھرتی کا بیٹا ہے۔ وطن کے ان بیٹوں نے ہمیشہ ہر مشکل وقت میں عوام کی آواز پر لبیک کہا ہے۔ ہمیں ان پر فخر ہے۔#Battagram #PakistanArmy pic.twitter.com/i2iluWMgaE

— Ayeza Khan (@Ayeza_Khan77) August 23, 2023

 

The cable car is privately run by locals for transportation across rivers as no roads or bridges are constructed in the area.

In the northern regions of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Gilgit-Baltistan, cable cars are vital transportation systems, connecting villages and towns in areas where roads are difficult to build.

A sigh of relief 

There was an outpouring of elation as news about successful rescue of the little children and their teacher was aired on the media. People in the area and, in fact, far and wide heaved a sigh of relief and effusively praised the commandoes and all those who contributed to the rescue operation. 

They expressed their sentiments through social media which was abuzz with posts of gratitude for the rescuers and, more so, for the Higher Power who in his bounteous mercy and greatness answered prayers at a time when many innocent lives remained hung by a thread for hours.

The remarkable actions of the SSG Commandos in rescuing the #Battagram #chairlift passengers are truly impressive. May Allah grant them success. Aameen. pic.twitter.com/vUH8rdgrKn

— Abdul Salam khan  (@salamkha9) August 22, 2023

The Battagram chairlift accident is a stark reminder that life is too precious to be put on the line through sheer negligence. Unlike past, it should go beyond words and stir the powers that be into action. Will the authorities learn any lesson, only time will tell.