Ski horror as 30 seriously injured by chair lift collapse at Spanish resort
Ski horror as 30 seriously injured by chair lift collapse at Spanish resort
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A chair lift broke at a ski resort in Spain causing people to fall to the ground with at least 17 badly injured and three in a critical condition. Emergency services have rushed to the scene at the Astún station, in Canal Roya, in the north east of Spain, and are using helicopters to urgently treat and transport the injured with reports that dozens remain trapped. It is feared as many as 30 people could be injured, but local government has said the true number won't be known until evacuations are completed. The local authority stated: "Chairlift accident at the Astún ski resort with multiple injuries.".
All the local hospitals at Jaca, Huesca, Miguel Servet, Clínico Universitario, Royo Villanova and Barbastro are receiving the injured. The police stated: "We are collaborating in the rescue efforts following an accident at the Astún ski resort (Huesca) where a 15-metre high chairlift line has fallen. Civil Guards from the Mountain Rescue and Intervention Group, Air Service and Citizen Security are taking part, together with the rest of the emergency services.".
Oscar, who was on the slopes, said: “A pulley wheel appears to have broken or come loose and the cable started to jump around and every time it happened we went up and down. We were lucky in that we didn’t hit the ground but there were people in front of us who did hit the ground and received blows to their faces and other parts of their body.”.
Another person said: “The slopes were full, because it was a sunny day and there was good snow. One of the wheels that makes the chairs turn has broken, people ended up swinging up and down, a camber effect, some have been completely upside down and face down.”.
