A cable car accident occurred this Tuesday morning on a construction site in Val Thorens, in Savoie. The evacuation of the injured, some of whom are seriously injured, is underway.
A serious accident occurred this Tuesday, November 19 in the station Val Thorens (Savoie), around 7:30 a.m. The Cime Caron cable car is embedded in the arrival station, at the top of the station, at almost 3,200 meters above sea level. According to a press release from the Savoie prefecture, the accident occurred in very difficult weather conditions. The cabin in question was being used as part of a construction site in progress, it was transporting 16 workers when it struck the arrival station.
Six injured, two seriously
The accident left six people injured, two of whom were serious; their life prognosis is not in jeopardy. “Very large resources of firefighters are engaged in Orelle to receive the injured from the cable car accident,” indicates Dauphiné Libéré. Around 125 people are involved in the rescue operation, including around a hundred firefighters.
The victims were evacuated by the 3 Vallées express, a cable car that takes you to the 3 Vallées area from Maurienne. Units specializing in mountain rescue from the gendarmerie (PGHM), the CRS and the Savoie departmental fire and rescue service are on site. “The first seriously injured person is evacuated, probably to a Grenoble hospital,” the media said at 11:31 a.m.
An activated crisis unit
Still according to information from Dauphiné Libéré, rescue operations were complicated by bad weather, which did not allow helicopters to be used to the top of Caron peak.
A crisis unit was activated by the Savoie prefecture.“The Prefect of Savoie has activated his crisis management cell, the departmental operational center, and the numerous victims plan (NOVI), in order to coordinate emergency services, in conjunction with the mayors of the municipalities concerned,” indicates the press release. of the prefecture. This crisis unit should be carried out at the end of the morning, this Tuesday, November 19.