Two young women, both 18 years old, have been admitted to intensive care following the collapse of a ski lift in Spain, as reported by local media.
The occurrence on Saturday transpired on a chair lift at the Astún ski resort, situated on the Spanish border alongside France, in the Pyrenees mountain range.
The regional authorities stated that a minimum of 30 individuals sustained injuries, with nine reported to be in critical condition – however, the ski resort later clarified that approximately 15 people were injured, with three suffering severe injuries.
The regional news source el Diario has subsequently disclosed that two 18-year-old women are currently being observed in intensive care units, as per the report from the regional government.
An emergency helicopter at the ski resort on Saturday. Pic: AP
Pic: AP
In an announcement on Saturday, the resort remarked: “The reasons behind the accident are currently unclear and are under investigation.”
“The facility has obtained all necessary approvals and inspections. The protocols for the rescue and transfer of the injured were executed effectively, evacuating all uphill users within two and a half hours.”
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The ski resort announced it would resume operations on Sunday “during its regular hours”.
‘A quite frightening moment’
Jaime Pelegri, who was present on the chair lift when it fell, described the event to Sky News as “a quite frightening moment,” noting that the incident unfolded “in just a few seconds.”
“We were still ascending when it appeared the cable lost tension,” he recounted. “Suddenly, all the chairs in the lift started to fall, and we were actually affected by that.”
He indicated that as he and his wife had just boarded the lift, they remained unharmed while “the chairs around us were collapsing backwards.”
However, at a higher position on the lift, “that’s where… more hazardous incidents occurred, resulting in injuries.”
Mr. Pelegri mentioned that some skiers appeared to have fallen “likely 10 to over 15m… onto the snow.”
The Prime Minister of Spain, Pedro Sánchez, expressed he was “deeply disturbed by the news of the incident.”
“All our support goes out to the injured and their families,” he conveyed.
