Harrowing footage has captured the terrifying moment a chairlift suddenly collapsed at a remote mountain resort in Russia, sending several people plunging into the deep waters of a lake while others tumbled violently to the rocky ground below.
The catastrophic incident left eight injured and another 13 clinging for their lives amid the rugged terrain of the Kabardino-Balkaria region in Nalchik, according to local reports.
Emergency responders said decades of wear and tear of the cables, which were originally installed in 1968, are believed to be “the preliminary cause of the accident,” Russian news agency TASS said.
Surveillance video shows riders screaming as the chairs snapped without warning. Some of the 21 victims who were on the chairlift crashed into trees, while another video captured a tourist falling to the ground.
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Reports say four people plunged into the 22-foot-deep waters of Lake Trek. Those who were left dangling from the collapsed chairlifts were eventually evacuated by emergency crews, according to TASS.
Authorities reportedly launched a large-scale rescue operation to rush the wounded to nearby hospitals.
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Russia’s health ministry said they detected a spinal cord injury in one of the victims, TASS reported.
“One patient is in serious condition in an intensive care unit,” a regional health ministry spokesperson said.
No fatalities were recorded from the incident.
Authorities reportedly opened a criminal investigation into the incident to determine whether any laws or regulations were violated that contributed to the horrific crash.
“During the investigation, all other versions will be considered,” emergency services said.
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