An EC-135 helicopter operated by the French Societe’ Civile hovers, Friday, Sept. 9, 2016, near three cars of the Panoramic Mont Blanc cable vehicle that stalled around 4 p.m. (1400 GMT) on Thursday, after its cables reportedly tangl.
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The remaining trapped passengers were finally rescued Friday morning and brought to Chamonix, France, and Courmayeur, Italy.
Early Thursday, helicopters rescued 65 of the 110 initial passengers trapped in the Chamonix region near Mont Blanc, a local government official with knowledge of the operation told CNN.
Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve said first aid workers spent the night in the cable cars with those trapped and survival blankets, energy bars and bottles of water were provided.
The ordeal had begun yesterday afternoon when the cables tangled and the “cars” that travel between Aiguille du Midi (3842m) and Punta Helbronner (3462m) ground to a halt.
The 33 remaining passengers were able to reach the ground by exiting the cars at three points on the way down, an official said. “The cable auto left about 2:30 in the afternoon and it was just before midnight when they finally brought us out of the gondolas, which was really quite an experience”, she told the AP.
The remaining 33, however, were not as fortunate and had to fearless the frosty night until the rescue teams were able to assist them early Friday morning.
The tourists rescued are understood to be French, Italian and American.
Company head Mathieu Dechavanne said the cars stopped because supporting cables and towing cables crossed at three differents points. But by the time night fell the helicopters had to stop, leaving dozens more people, including a 10-year-old child, dangling in the gondolas overnight.
The Mont-Blanc Company thanked all those involved in the operation, and praised “the exemplary conduct of the trapped persons, and their calmness. which allowed the evacuation to be carried out in all serenity”.
The cable vehicle connects the 12,605-foot Aiguille de Midi mountain in France with the 11,358-foor Pointe Helbronner in Italy.
Each cabin carries four passengers, and the 5km ride is normally meant to take 30 to 35 minutes.
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The incident comes five years after around 40 people were stuck for almost seven hours on the Grande-Motte cable vehicle in the southeastern French Alps after it broke down.
