Srinagar, June 10: The Jammu and Kashmir Cable Car Corporation (JKCCC) has extended the closure of the Gulmarg Gondola indefinitely, two weeks after a major technical malfunction left more than 300 tourists stranded mid-air and triggered a massive rescue operation.

In a fresh communique, the corporation stated that the Gondola will remain closed for tourists until further notice as maintenance and safety assessments continue.
“The inconvenience caused is regretted”, reads an official communique.
The Gondola has remained non-operational since May 25, when a technical snag halted services and trapped over 300 tourists in suspended cabins.
A detailed technical inspection of the cable car system followed, while engineers have since been carrying out extensive maintenance work, safety audits and operational checks to ensure the facility is fit for public use before services are restored.
Meanwhile, the government today constituted a five member committee to probe the technical malfunction of the Gondola service last month.
According to the Government, the committee has been tasked with enquiring into the circumstances leading to the malfunction of the Gulmarg Gondola on May 25. The committee has been asked to submit its report with findings and recommendations to the Tourism Department within 10 days from the issuance of the order.
The committee will be headed by Managing Director of Kashmir Power Distribution Corporation Limited (KPDCL) Mahmood Ahmad Shah and includes Director Tourism Jammu Vikas Gupta, Chief Executive Officer Gulmarg Development Authority Tariq Hussain, Incharge Superintending Engineer Mechanical & Hospital Circle Kashmir Javeed Ahmad Tantray, and Executive Engineer Mechanical & Hospital Division Baramulla Mohammad Ismail Chechi.
On May 25, more than 300 tourists travelling in 65 cabins of the Gulmarg Gondola service, regarded as Asia’s highest ropeway, were stranded mid-air after the system developed technical problems. All the tourists were later rescued in a strenuous seven-hour operation conducted by the authorities.
The committee will ascertain the complete sequence of events leading to the malfunction and conduct a detailed technical examination of the cable car system, including its mechanical, electrical, braking, communication and safety systems.
The panel has also been asked to examine operational logs, fault indications, inspection reports, maintenance records and safety protocols to determine whether prescribed procedures were being followed at the time of the incident.
Besides reviewing possible operational lapses, negligence, human error or administrative shortcomings, the committee will assess compliance with statutory safety standards and manufacturer guidelines governing the gondola system.
The government has further directed the committee to evaluate the effectiveness of the emergency response and evacuation measures undertaken during the incident and recommend both immediate corrective steps and long-term safety measures to prevent recurrence of such incidents.
The Gulmarg gondola is one of the major attractions for tourists. In 2024, a record one million visitors enjoyed the ride.