Panchmahal, September 6: Six people were killed on Saturday when the cable wire of a cargo ropeway gave way near the Pavagadh Hill temple in Gujarat’s Panchmahal district, officials said.
Superintendent of Police Haresh Dudhat confirmed the deaths and said rescue and relief efforts were immediately undertaken. “Our teams, along with the fire brigade, are on the spot. Operations are under way,” Dudhat noted.
The temple, dedicated to Goddess Kali, stands atop Pavagadh Hill at an elevation of about 800 meters. Devotees typically climb nearly 2,000 steps to reach the shrine or use the ropeway service.
Officials said the passenger ropeway had been closed earlier in the day due to bad weather. “The ropeway for visitors was suspended this morning because of unsafe conditions,” one official mentioned. “What snapped was the wire of the cargo ropeway.”
Pavagadh Hill rises in three stages from Champaner, with its plateau stretching at an altitude of 1,471 feet. The hilltop temple is one of the most visited shrines in Gujarat, drawing nearly 2.5 million pilgrims each year.
Police said investigations are ongoing into the circumstances of the cable snap.
