Taking serious note of the technical snag that resulted in more than 300 tourists being trapped mid-air on May 25, the Jammu and Kashmir government has constituted a committee to conduct a comprehensive enquiry into the malfunction of the Gulmarg Gondola.
The General Administrative Department of the J&K government issued an order No 1065-JK(GAD) of 2026, dated June 10, 2026, regarding the constitution of a committee to investigate the circumstances that led to the incident.
The panel is chaired by Mahmood Ahmad Shah , Managing Director of Kashmir Power Development Corporation Limited, and includes Vikas Gupta, Director, Tourism Jammu; Tariq Hussain, Chief Executive Officer, Gulmarg Development Authority; Javeed Ahmad Tantray, In-charge Superintending Engineer, Mechanical and Hospital Circle Kashmir; and Mohammad Ismail Chechi, Executive Engineer, Mechanical and Hospital Division, Baramulla.
The committee has been asked to establish the complete sequence of events leading to the malfunction, examining all relevant records, reports, and operational details, and conducting a detailed technical investigation into the nature, cause, and extent of the failure.
The committee will examine operational logs, fault indications, alarms, inspection reports, and maintenance records to assess whether standard operating procedures (SOPs) and safety protocols were being followed.
The enquiry will also investigate whether any operational lapses, negligence, communication gaps, supervisory failures, human errors, or administrative shortcomings contributed to the incident. The committee has been directed to assess compliance with statutory provisions, technical standards, safety regulations, manufacturer guidelines, inspection requirements, certification norms, and prescribed maintenance schedules.
The committee has been assigned the following terms of reference:
- To ascertain and establish the complete sequence of events leading to the malfunction or technical failure of the cable car/gondola system, including the circumstances immediately preceding, during, and following the incident.
- To examine all relevant facts, records, reports, communications, and operational details necessary for arriving at a clear understanding of the incident.
- To conduct a detailed technical examination of the malfunction and investigate the nature, cause, and extent of the failure, including an examination of the mechanical, electrical, electronic, braking, communication, control, and safety systems associated with the operation of the cable car/gondola system.
- To examine operational logs, fault indications, monitoring systems, alarms, inspection reports, maintenance records, and other technical documentation relevant to the incident.
- To review existing operational procedures, standard operating procedures (SOPs), maintenance protocols, inspection mechanisms, and safety procedures governing the functioning of the cable car/gondola system, and assess whether these procedures and protocols were being adhered to at the relevant point in time.
- To examine whether any operational lapse, negligence, procedural deficiency, communication gap, supervisory failure, human error, or administrative shortcoming contributed directly or indirectly to the occurrence of the incident.
- To assess compliance with applicable statutory provisions, technical standards, safety regulations, manufacturer/OEM guidelines, inspection requirements, certification norms, and maintenance schedules prescribed for the operation of the cable car/gondola system, and determine whether any deviation or non-compliance existed.
- To evaluate the adequacy and effectiveness of emergency response measures undertaken during and after the incident, including emergency communication systems, evacuation procedures, passenger safety protocols, coordination among concerned agencies, and overall crisis management arrangements.
- To identify responsibility, wherever warranted, for any act of omission, commission, negligence, procedural violation, or failure on the part of any individual, agency, contractor, or authority associated with the functioning, operation, maintenance, supervision, or administration of the cable car/gondola system.
- To recommend immediate corrective measures required for ensuring the safe operation and restoration of the cable car/gondola system, as well as long-term technical, operational, administrative, and safety-related measures necessary to prevent the recurrence of similar incidents.
- To examine any other matter incidental or related to the incident that it may consider relevant for conducting a comprehensive enquiry and submitting a complete report.
- To inspect the site, examine records and documents, interact with concerned officers, technical personnel, operators, contractors, and other stakeholders, and seek expert opinion or technical assistance wherever considered necessary for the conduct of the enquiry.
Over 300 Tourists Trapped Mid-Air in Gulmarg Gondola
As reported earlier, a major tragedy was averted at the famous ski resort of Gulmarg on May 25 after a technical snag in the Gondola cable car service left hundreds of tourists and local visitors stranded mid-air. Rescue teams successfully evacuated 320 tourists during a seven-hour-long operation.
Officials said more than 300 tourists were trapped inside the cable cars after the gondola came to a sudden halt due to a technical fault.
Rescue teams comprising personnel from the Army's 9 Rajputana Rifles, the Jammu and Kashmir Police, and the civil administration rushed to the spot and launched evacuation efforts.
Eyewitnesses said several tourists, including women and children, panicked after the gondola stopped mid-air.
Technical teams were also deployed to identify the fault and restore the service.
Soon after the incident, a large-scale rescue operation was launched by personnel of the Army, Jammu and Kashmir Police, the Army's Hawaas Camp, and other concerned agencies.
Gondola Closed Indefinitely After Incident
Following the incident, the Jammu and Kashmir Cable Car Corporation (JKCCC) suspended operations of the Gulmarg Gondola indefinitely.
In a fresh communiqué, the corporation stated that the gondola would remain closed to tourists until further notice as maintenance work and safety assessments continue.
"The inconvenience caused is regretted," an official communiqué said.
The gondola has remained non-operational since May 25, when a technical snag halted services and left more than 300 tourists stranded in suspended cabins.
A detailed technical inspection of the cable car system was subsequently carried out, while engineers have been conducting extensive maintenance work, safety audits, and operational checks to ensure the facility is fit for public use before services are restored.
The latest announcement comes days after JKCCC had indicated that the gondola would remain closed until June 8. However, with maintenance work still underway, the corporation has not specified any timeline for reopening.
Officials said services would resume only after all technical issues are addressed and the system receives the necessary safety clearances.
