When Skiing Became Grounded: A Report on the Accidental Incident in Astun Resort in Spain
That was supposed to be a fun, frosty day at Astun ski resort in the Pyrenees mountains of Spain but turned out to be an unexpected adventure—more on the ground than in the snow.
At 12:00 p.m. local time, a dramatic incident occurred when the ski lift suddenly collapsed, leaving 30 people injured in various ways. Among them, 10 were rushed to the hospital, with two receiving “very special” attention, almost as if they were being transported in a sports ambulance.
The Tale of a Cable and a Pulley That Parted Ways
According to reports, one of the pulleys of the ski lift decided it had had enough and gave way, causing the structure to collapse. Chairs were left dangling precariously in mid-air, with some of them flipping upside down. “It was like the cable snapped, the chairs started bouncing, and people got thrown off. Definitely not the skiing experience I signed up for,” a witness related to RTVE.
Stranded on Snow, But at Least the Weather Was Nice!
Videos from the scene showed dozens of skiers stranded mid-slope, standing in the pristine white snow with looks of disbelief. Fortunately, no fatalities were reported, which means it may have been a bad day, but at least everyone lived to tell the tale.
The Rescue Operation
Rescue operations were not long after that, with 14 ambulances dispatched at the scene, up until around 3:00 p.m.; those hanging had been evacuated. Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez was shocked by the accident and promised full government support for victims and their families. But it is not yet clear when stronger ski lifts will be realised.
Conclusion
Although the day ended without loss of life, some attendees might never look at skiing as a carefree sport again. Snow may be beautiful, but it seems it’s not always your friend!
Source: CNN
