Three people are dead and nine injured after a cable supporting a chairlift snapped while ascending Russia’s highest mountain. Thirty-seven people were riding the cableway atop Mount Elbrus in the North Caucasus republic of Kabardino-Balkaria when it snapped, sending passengers plummeting onto jagged rocks below. Twenty-five people were left stranded at the mountain’s summit without supplies or warm clothing following the accident, and were forced to spend the night in a freezing emergency shelter. The chairlift, owned by a company named MKD Elbrus, was a Soviet-era installation that was supposed to be undergoing maintenance at the time of the accident. A government source reported, “The modern gondola cable car is undergoing routine maintenance from Sept. 3 to 24 to prepare for the winter season.” It said that passengers were forbidden from riding it during that time. MKD Elbrus’ CEO and head technician have been detained as part of a criminal investigation into the incident, but it is unclear whether they will face any charges.
Read it at Daily Mail
