A ski lift collapsed at the Astun resort in the Spanish region of Aragon on Saturday, injuring dozens of people. Nine of the injured are in very serious condition, while eight are seriously hurt. Around 80 people remain trapped, hanging in the chairlift, according to state TV channel TVE.
“It’s like a cable has come off, the chairs have bounced and people have been thrown off,” a witness told TVE. The cause of the cable failure remains unknown. The ski resort’s management declined to comment and was unable to say if foreigners were among the injured.
Several helicopters are working in the area to rescue the trapped skiers and transfer the injured to nearby hospitals. The Astun ski resort is located in the Pyrenees mountain range, close to the Spanish border with France, and is mainly popular among Spanish skiers.