[imagesource:twitter/bbc]

A group of Pakistani schoolchildren lived through a nightmare yesterday when their cable car got stuck over a valley in northwest Pakistan, leading to a frantic rescue effort that was broadcast live all over social media.

The terrifying ordeal lasted more than 14 hours as emergency personnel tried to reach the six children and two teachers.

The group was traveling to school in the province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa when one of the gondola’s cables snapped, leaving them stuck some 274 metres above the valley. Many children who live in remote and mountainous parts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province rely on cable cars to ferry them to school and back. Some of these lack regular maintenance and can be a risky form of travel.

The rescue included helicopters and the use of zip lines, but as night fell, Pakistani authorities were forced to pause helicopter rescues of the remaining children and adults.

The cable car was traveling between the villages of Btangi and Jhengarie and had made multiple trips on Tuesday before the cable snapped, with strong winds thwarting earlier attempts to reach those trapped.

What made the rescue even more dramatic was the fact that the ordeal was broadcast live, and the world got to see the rescue unfold in real-time. Footage released later by the rescue services also captured a dramatic moment when one child appeared to jump from the cable car while holding onto the end of a rope dangling from a helicopter before being flown to safety.

The incident prompted Pakistan’s caretaker prime minister to order all “dilapidated and non-compliant chairlifts” to close immediately, according to a statement from his office.

Check out the dramatic rescue, which thankfully ended in all the kids being brought to safety.

[source:cnn]