13-4-2024 (ANTALYA) A harrowing incident unfolded in the picturesque Turkish resort city of Antalya on Friday evening, leaving one person dead and ten others injured after a cable car cabin collided with a broken pole, sending passengers plummeting to the mountains below. The chilling incident occurred around 6 pm local time, casting a pall of tragedy over what should have been a joyous holiday weekend.
The Tunektepe cable car, a popular tourist attraction that ferries visitors from Konyaalti beach to a restaurant and viewing platform atop the 618-metre Tunektepe peak, was the site of the horrific accident. As the cabin made its ascent, it collided with a broken pole, causing it to burst open and send its occupants hurtling towards the rugged terrain below.
Teleferikte mahsur kalan vatandaşlarımızı kurtarma çalışmaları aralıksız devam etmektedir.
Asılı kalan 1️⃣5️⃣ kabindeki 9️⃣8️⃣ kişi başarıyla tahliye edilmiştir.
Sahil Güvenlik Komutanlığına ait 4️⃣ helikopter kurtarma çalışmalarında aktif olarak görev yapmaktadır.
Bölgeye #AFAD,… pic.twitter.com/7LzhEbXizM
— Ali Yerlikaya (@AliYerlikaya) April 13, 2024
In the immediate aftermath, a massive rescue operation was launched, with multiple helicopters, mountain rescue teams, and a staggering 160 emergency workers converging on the scene. Ali Yerlikaya, Turkey’s Interior Minister, confirmed that a further 184 passengers were stranded in 25 cabins suspended precariously 10 metres above the ground, adding an urgent layer to the already dire situation.
As the rescue efforts stretched into the early hours of Saturday morning, Muhittin Bocek, the Antalya Metropolitan Municipality Mayor, provided an update, revealing that at least 96 individuals had been rescued from 15 cabins, while operations were still ongoing to reach the remaining nine cabins.
Bugün Antalya Konyaaltı ilçesinde bulunan Sarısu-Tünektepe teleferik hattını taşıyan direklerden birinin devrilmesi sonucu vagonlardan biri kayalık bölgeye düşmüş; teleferikte bulunun 1 vatandaşımız maalesef hayatını kaybetmiş, 7 kişi ise yaralanmıştır
AFAD ve Antalya Büyükşehir… pic.twitter.com/jMwtRAQhd0
— Ali Yerlikaya (@AliYerlikaya) April 12, 2024
Amidst the chaos and desperation, the governor’s office identified Memis Gumus, a Turkish national, as the tragic victim who lost his life in the incident. Additionally, the number of injured individuals was revised upwards from the initial report of seven to a staggering ten, according to Health Minister Dr Fahrettin Koca.
In a sombre statement on social media, Koca expressed his condolences and well-wishes, writing: “One person died and 10 people were injured as a result of a cable car cabin falling in Antalya’s Konyaaltı district. May God have mercy on our citizen who lost his life in the accident, I wish a speedy recovery to our injured, and I wish a speedy recovery to the rescued and waiting to be rescued victims.”
The incident cast a pall over what should have been a celebratory occasion, as the accident occurred on the final day of the three-day Eid al Fitr public holiday in Turkey, a time when families traditionally flock to coastal resorts to mark the end of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.
As the rescue efforts continued, an investigation was promptly launched by the Antalya prosecutor’s office to determine the cause of the catastrophic crash and assign accountability for the tragic loss of life and injuries sustained.
