Lift-World.info :: Ropeway incidents

Chairlift malfunction at Liaoning ski resort forces passengers leap to safety

Sat, 28 Feb 2026 11:06:27 +0000

Liaoyang (CN). A ski resort in Liaoyang, Liaoning became the scene of a dramatic incident on February 18, 2026 when a malfunction caused a chairlift to suddenly reverse, forcing skiers to leap to safety. Video footage posted online captured the moment the chairlift at the ski resort, said to be the Gongchangling Hot Spring and Ski Resort, began moving rapidly in reverse, as staff shouted warnings and instructed passengers to jump off. Bystanders could be heard yelling, “Back off!” as the situation unfolded. The malfunction prompted an immediate shutdown of the affected facility. Resort staff reported on February 19 that no injuries occurred and that the ski area has since resumed normal operations.

Dozens of Skiers Rescued From Gondola at Gore Mountain

Sat, 28 Feb 2026 10:59:37 +0000

Gore Mountain (USA). Gore Mountain’s Northwoods gondola stopped due to a mechanical issue this morning, 02/04/2026, stranding more than 60 skiers.

Lisbon funicular crash killed 15 people

Wed, 10 Sep 2025 17:17:14 +0000

Lisbon (PT). 15 people where killed in the Ascensor da Glória funicular at 09/03/2025. The rope breaks and one cabin crashed into a house after it derailed.

Rope falls with chairs and passangers down.

Fri, 15 Aug 2025 17:26:14 +0000

Nalchik (RU). 12 people where injured as the rope of a chairlift fall down to the ground.Some people hit the ground or fall into a lake.

Areal Tramway accident in Italy kills four people

Sat, 19 Apr 2025 08:21:09 +0000

Castellammare di Stabbia (IT). A cabin from the areal tramway 36-AT Castellammare - Monte Faito fall down because a rope broke. Four people where killed. It happened on 04/17/2025 at 3 o'clock pm.

Cab falls down at Golden Eagle Express

Tue, 18 Mar 2025 21:35:54 +0000

Golden (CA). The gondola at Kicking Horse, British Columbia suffered a serious incident this morning, 03/10/2025, when a hanger snapped, causing a cabin with eight riders to fall to the ground. Thankfully the fully loaded carrier had just departed the bottom station and was approximately one meter off the ground. There were no serious injuries among affected passengers.

Chair Falls from Lift at Attitash

Sun, 09 Feb 2025 21:06:43 +0000

Bartlett (USA). A quad chair detached mid-line on Attitash’s Flying Bear lift this afternoon, injuring one person.Attitash General Manager Brandon Swartz said “We can confirm an incident occurred on our Flying Bear chairlift today, Sunday, February 2, 2025. The safety of our guests is our top priority, and we are investigating the incident.”

Bullwheel Failure Injures 15 in Spain

Wed, 22 Jan 2025 18:45:57 +0000

Astún (ES). The top bullwheel detached from a chairlift in Spain this morning, injuring more than 15 people. The incident happened at Astún, a resort with 15 lifts located in the Pyrenees. Without a bullwheel retention device, the bullwheel came to rest vertically and the lift rapidly lost tension, causing chairs to contact the ground along the line. The lift de-roped on numerous towers and chairs could be seen mangled with an evacuation underway.

Persons stuck in Swiss cable car evacuated by helicopter

Mon, 30 Dec 2024 18:05:34 +0000

Veysonnaz (CH). A cable car in Veysonnaz broke down on 12/28/2024. The passangers must be evacuated. No one where injured.

240 persons must be evacuated from skilift in France

Sat, 28 Dec 2024 17:49:31 +0000

(F) Dévoluy. A chairlift in France stopped on 12/24/2024 at 1 pm o'clock because of technical problems. 240 persons must be evacuated. No one where injured.

Gondola Collision Kills One in Colombia

Thu, 27 Jun 2024 20:46:05 +0000

Mendelin (CO) A serious incident occurred on the world’s second largest urban gondola network early this morning, killing one person and injuring twenty others. A gondola cabin reportedly hit another cabin as it entered one of the elevated stations of Medellín’s Metrocable Line K. The second cabin then fell onto a car on the street below. The incident occurred at an intermediate station called Popular, one of four stations on the line. After the incident, about 200 people remained stuck in other cabins before being evacuated.

Cable car accident kills one person in turkey

Mon, 15 Apr 2024 21:37:43 +0000

Antalya (TR). On friday afternoon, the 04/12/2024 a cable car accident kills one person. Many People were injured. 184 people stranded in the gondolas. The rescue teams rescued the persons within 24h.The upper part of a tower fell down. The reason is at the moment unknown.

A Cabin Falls from the Mont-Sainte-Anne L'Étoile Filante Gondola

Fri, 16 Dec 2022 20:21:56 +0000

(CDN) Mont-Sainte-Anne. No one was injured when an empty down bound cabin detached and fell from the haul rope before the mountain opened for the day. The mountain has been closed for at least the weekend while the incident is investigated.

Deoghar Ropeway Accident

Tue, 19 Apr 2022 20:20:19 +0000

(IN) Trikut Ropeway Accident: The death count in the accident climbed to three when two people, a man and a woman, fell from a helicopter while being rescued.

All the tourists who remained trapped mid-air in three cable cars in Jharkhand's Deoghar district for about 40 hours, were rescued today in a risky operation involving two Air Force helicopters and dozens of officials.

10. April 2022

Rollback of a detachable chairlift in Korea

Mon, 24 Jan 2022 22:34:07 +0000

Bear Town (KOR). On 2022/22/01 a detachable Chairlift rollback in Bear Town Resort. The people jump from the lift before the chairs crashes in the valley station. Some people were injured.

Chair fell from Wildcat Lift

Tue, 11 Jan 2022 18:37:22 +0000

Pinkham Notch (USA). A triple chair fell near the base of Wildcat Mountain’s Snowcat lift this afternoon, sending one person to the hospital. The lift involved is a 1974 Riblet servicing beginner trails out of the base area. At 1:30 pm, Wildcat posted that Snowcat would remain closed for the day due to maintenance.

14 Dead in Italian Areal Tramway Accident

Tue, 25 May 2021 20:57:43 +0000

Stresa (IT). A cabin from the 47 person Alpino - Mottarone areal tramway fell on Sunday 05/23/2021, killing 14 people and seriously injuring a five year old child.

Chair Falls from Camelback’s Sullivan Express

Sun, 28 Mar 2021 17:54:11 +0000

A chair fell from the Sullivan Express at Camelback Resort in Pennsylvania today along with three passengers who were riding in it.

Gondola blocked in station of the Disney Skyliner

Mon, 07 Oct 2019 22:32:30 +0000

Orlando (USA). An in-station collision on the Epcot line of the Disney Skyliner caused a stop that left people stuck in gondolas for more than two hours Saturday night and led to a partial evacuation. (Date: 2019-10-05)

RCMP investigate sabotage after cable cut at Sea to sky gondola

Mon, 12 Aug 2019 21:00:09 +0000

Squamish (CA). RCMP say they believe someone deliberately cut the cable of the Sea-to-Sky gondola on August 10, 2019 - 4:30 a.m. Most of the 3 cabins crashed to the ground. The lift was not in operation. No person was injured.

Cable cars to top Bogota tourist attraction lose brakes: at least 25 injured

Sat, 29 Dec 2018 09:51:09 +0000

Bogota (CO). At least 25 tourists were injured on Monday, the 12/24/2018, when the brakes of a cable car to Bogota‘s Monserrate church malfunctioned and one two cabins crashed into railings.

Burst Snowmaking Pipe Sends Gondolas Swinging at Stratton

Thu, 27 Dec 2018 22:21:51 +0000

A large pipe broke on Christmas Eve 2018 at Stratton Mountain Resort, sending a gush of water into the path of the mountain’s gondola. Videos circulating on social media show a few cabins bearing the brunt of the geyser.

Officials responsible for Gudauri ski lift accident resign

Sun, 25 Mar 2018 21:08:02 +0000

Gudauri (Georgia). At the briefing the first Vice-Premier revealed a preliminary conclusion of the company \"Bureau Veritas\" regarding the incident. He said that March 16, the Gudauri incident occurred because of human error after voltage drop there.

Rollback of a 4-seater chairlift in Gudauri.

Fri, 16 Mar 2018 20:56:36 +0000

Gudauri (Georgia). On Friday, the 16th March 2018, the four seater chairlift in the ski resort Gudauri rolls out of control back. 10 People where injured.

7 people killed by gondola accident in Gulmarg

Mon, 26 Jun 2017 21:23:27 +0000

Seven people died after a tree fell on the ropeway in Gulmarg (India) on 25.6.2017. The tree reportedly fell due to high winds.

Falling Crossarm Injures Nine at Timberline

Sun, 21 Feb 2016 21:30:28 +0000

Timberline, WV - Nine people were injured and over 100 others evacuated when a crossarm fell completely off a tower at Timberline Four Seasons Resort around 9:15 this morning.

5 people injured when chairlift in Sugarloaf derails

Wed, 29 Dec 2010 18:01:36 +0000

CARRABASSETT VALLEY, Maine – Today, at approximately 10:30am, the Spillway East Chairlift experienced a rope derailment. At this time, we have 5 injured guests with one of the injuries believed to be serious.

All available mountain safety personel are at the scene. The injured parties have been taken off the mountain. Additionally, the remaining guests on the lift are being evacuated now.

As of now, the cause of the incident is still unknown and is under investigation.

The Spillway East chair is A 2 passenger monocable fixed grip chair manufactured and installed by Borvig in 1975. This lift was modified in 1983. Spillway East is 4,013 feet long with a vertical of 1,454 feet. This chair moves at a speed of 500 feet per minute and the chairs are 50 feet apart. Their are 162 chairs on this lift each weighing 140lbs. Spillway East has a 250 horsepower motor and has a capacity for 1,200 skiers per hour. The Spillway Chairs run parallel up the Spillway trail. Spillway East runs to the top of the Sluice Headwall and you can access all terrain below the Spillway X-Cut.

The chairlift receives routine daily inspections for safety. Additionally, the chairlift receives weekly, monthly and yearly maintenance and testing. The lift is also inspected annually for it’s safety from the State of Board of Elevator and Tramway Safety.

Sugarloaf Mountain and it’s employees are concerned for the people involved and the safety of all of the Mountain’s guests.

Sugarloaf Mountain intends to issue updates as required.

Ski lift at Devil's Head Resort rolled backwards

Mon, 21 Dec 2009 18:08:26 +0000

MERRIMAC (WKOW) -- State officials said the ski lift at Devil's Head Resort that rolled backwards and forced skiers to jump off was inspected last month.

More:
http://www.wkowtv.com/Global/story.asp?S=11697187

23 people injured in chairlift collapse in Sierra Nevada ski resort

Tue, 03 Mar 2009 10:13:54 +0000

In the Sierra Nevada ski resort fall down a sheave assembly and 23 people were injured.

Read more:
http://www.typicallyspanish.com/news/publish/article_20275.shtml

Whistler Blackcomb: Excalibur Gondola Incident

Wed, 17 Dec 2008 19:54:06 +0000

The Excalibur Gondola evacuation was completed at 5:51 pm this evening. Fifty-three guests were safely evacuated from the lower line of the Excalibur Gondola after a structural failure on tower 4 caused the gondola to cease operation.

We are very thankful that no-one was seriously injured in this incident. A full investigation by Whistler Blackcomb and the BC Safety Authority is currently underway to determine the cause of the failure.

Earlier Statement Issued at 5:30pm PST

At approximately 2:30pm PST on Tuesday, December 16, a structural failure on tower 4 on Blackcomb Mountain's Excalibur Gondola caused the gondola to cease operation. No gondola cabins came off the line. There were several injuries that appear to be minor. Injured guests were treated at the Whistler Medical Clinic. The cause of the incident is unknown at this time and will be investigated, however the immediate priority has been to secure the tower and evacuate guests.

There is an upper and lower section to the Excalibur Gondola. The failed tower 4 on the lower section was secured by a crane and Whistler Blackcomb Ski Patrol and the Whistler Fire Department immediately implemented an emergency lift evacuation procedure. The upper section of the gondola, independent of the lower section, was unaffected by the incident and was cleared immediately of guests by normal procedure.

Fifty-three guests are being evacuated from the lower section. Whistler Blackcomb Ski Patrol, Whistler Fire Department, RCMP, BC Ambulance and Emergency Social Services are currently aiding in the evacuation and are extending care to guests being evacuated. The evacuation is well underway and is expected to be complete by 6:30pm. Communication to the guests still on-board is currently underway.

The Excalibur Gondola was built in 1994 and undergoes an extensive safety check every year by the BC Safety Authority. The last check took place within the past six months. Each gondola cabin holds eight people. The gondola section where the incident took place is approximate 30 feet above the ground.

More Information:
http://www.ctvbc.ctv.ca/servlet/an/local/CTVNews/20081217/gondola_follow_081217/20081217/?hub=BritishColumbiaHome
http://www.vancouversun.com/Sports/Twelve+injured+rescue+complete+after+Whistler+gondola+accident/1083212/story.html

Loučná nad Desnou: 4-seater chairlift

Wed, 27 Feb 2008 18:06:48 +0000

A 4-seater chairlift in the Czech republic was damaged by a fire in the controlroom.

Datas of the lift:
http://www.seilbahntechnik.net/en/lifts/12280/datas.htm

Sölden (Austria): Cable car accident kills nine passengers

Tue, 06 Sep 2005 17:37:50 +0000

On Monday 2005-09-05 at about 1 p.m. an accident happened on the glacier Rettenbach, in the area „Innere Schwarze-Schneid-Bahn“.

A helicopter which transported a container filled with concrete lost it during the flight. The container fell on a cabin and due to strong vibrations passengers in two other cabins were catapulted off. At the moment of accident, there were 35 persons in 6 different cars. 3 cars were affected by the fall of the container. 9 persons were killed and other 6 persons were seriousely hurt by this accident! The casualties were taken to the hospitals in Innsbruck and Zams. The nationalities of the casualties are established! Already a few minutes after the accident, the rescue started. 150 persons and 6 helicopters were employed. The rescue campaign finished at 4 p.m..