Terrifying moment child dangles from helicopter during daring rescue from Pakistan cable car

22 August 2023, 16:12 | Updated: 22 August 2023, 16:19

Terrifying video footage has captured the moment a child was rescued from a stricken cable car that was left dangling from wires in Pakistan.

Eight people were stuck for over 10 hours after getting on the chairlift in Battagram in northern Pakistan.

At around 3.30pm UK time, four of the children had been rescued and were being checked over by medical workers.

A shocking clip of the first child being rescued shows him dangling from the helicopter as it gradually flew off to safety.

The child gripped a safety rope tightly while he appeared strapped in a harness, as he hung thousands of feet from the ground. He was later pulled inside the helicopter.

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Among the group are six school children aged between 10 and 16, Gulfaraz, a 20-year-old who is also on the chairlift, told Geo News.

He said the first wire broke at 7am while another broke down soon after.

"For God's sake help us," he said, adding: “We don't even have drinking water in the chairlift."

A 16-year-old, who suffers with a heart condition, had been unconscious for three hours, Gulfaraz said.

The rescue was made more complex by the windy weather conditions shaking the cable car.

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The Provincial Disaster Mangaement Authority (PDMA) said the chairlift incident occurred at 8:30am.

"A chairlift stuck at a height of about 900 ft midway due to breakage in one of its cable in Battagram. 8 persons including 6 children stranded," the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) said in a statement.

It added: "After coordination Pak Army helicopter has been despatched for rescue operation."

Caretaker PM Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar said the incident was "alarming".

"The chairlift accident in Battagram, KP is really alarming," he tweeted.

"I have directed the NDMA, PDMA and district authorities to urgently ensure safe rescue and evacuation of the 8 people stuck in the chairlift.

"I have also directed the authorities to conduct safety inspections of all such private chairlifts and ensure that they are safe to operate and use."