Power cut: Cable car panic

2008-01-22 08:10

Leandra de Waal

Cape Town - Several people were trapped in cable cars on Table Mountain until late on Monday evening after they stopped working due to a power cut.

Hundreds of people were stuck on the mountain, waiting to go down.

According to Abdul Akoonjee of Durban, who was in the bottom cable car, the electricity went off around 19:45 when they had gone up about 3m along the cable.

"We were stuck for two-and-a-half hours. People started becoming panicky and we had to calm them down," he told Hanlie Gouws.

Eventually rescue workers could open the bottom of the cable car and helped the passengers to abseil to safety.

Akoonjee said it was very hot in the cable car as the door could not open and especially a Brazilian woman with a heart condition, became agitated.

"Now we will first look for something to eat," he said.

According to a source on the mountain, two older people in the top cable car fell ill.

At 23:30, the cable cars were tested first before those people waiting on top of the mountain, could be brought down.

Johan Theron, one of the people stuck in the top cable car, said some of the people tried to jump out.

"We were halfway out of the cable car station and then we were stuck," he said.

According to him, the cable car started moving again, but then stopped.

According to an employee of the cable car company, a power cut caused the cable cars to stop operating.

He said they struggled for about an hour to get the generator working.

Ilse Lötter, who was on Table Mountain on Monday night, said about 500 people were trapped on the mountain.

At about 22:46, there was an announcement that they were busy freeing people stuck in the cable cars and people were still on the mountain, said Lötter.

"I don't see people being upset. Everyone is rather jolly, but I think the people in the cable cars are a bit upset," said Lötter on Monday evening.

The cable car company could not be reached for comment.

- Die Burger