The problem was caused by cables that got crossed for “unknown reasons” and the employees of the Mont-Blanc Company weren’t able to fix them, Mathieu Dechavanne, CEO of the company that manages the cable cars, told AFP.
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Technicians were trying to untangle the cable cars by loosening the tension of cables holding them.
But with darkness falling and the weather deteriorating, the rescue operation was suspended, leaving 33 tourists, one of them a 10-year-old child, forced to spend the night dangling in mid-air.
Following preparation, during the night, of a new attempt to evacuate the cabines, the Compagnie du Mont Blanc confirms this morning success of the operation.
Mr Dechavanne said the cable cars each had a survival kit with cereal bars, water and survival blankets, and that each auto was contacted by phone to explainthe situation.
French and Italian helicopters were used to get passengers to safety, Chamonix Mayor Eric Fournier told CNN affiliate BFMTV.
Emergency workers had scrambled at first light to rescue the stranded people, who included a child, after the ride jammed on Thursday.
Hours later, workers were able to bring down 12 more passengers, who walked to a connecting cable auto that took them to the Italian town of Courmayeur.
“Antoine Burnet, from cable auto operator Compagnie Du Mont Blanc, praised the professionalism of the rescuers and the “exemplary conduct” and calmness” of those trapped.
About 110 people were initially trapped in 36 Vallee Blanche cable cars linking the Aiguille du Midi peak to Pointe Helbronner, a popular tourist activity in the region.
The incident occurred about 4:30 p.m., after two cables crossed over each other, the official said.
“The panoramic cable cars rise to an altitude of 12,000 feet, and are operated in the summer season with large numbers of tourists and climbers”, Eleanor says.
If it had not been possible to fix the cable cars, people would have been rescued by helicopter, local officials quoted by French media said.
French and Italian helicopters flew in rescuers who dropped down on cables onto the tops of the cars, and lifted out passengers one by one.
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The cable auto journey normally takes 30-35 minutes.
