One dead and seven injured after cable car crash in Turkey

One man, believed to be a 54-year-old Turkish man, died in the incident.

One person was killed and seven injured Friday when a cable car pod in Turkey hit a pole and burst open, officials confirmed.

Passengers were sent plummeting to the ground below after the Tunektepe cable car crashed at around 6pm local time on Friday in the popular tourist city of Antalya.

The state-run Anadolu Agency said. identified the deceased as a 54-year-old Turkish man, and said six Turkish citizens and one Kyrgyz national were injured.

Two children were among the injured in the accident.

More than 40 people remained stranded in cable cars high above the mountain. Okay Memis, director of the Turkish search and rescue agency AFAD, said he hopes the team will have them down before dark.

A total of 543 first responders and seven helicopters are involved in the rescue operations, including teams from AFAD, the Coast Guard, firefighting teams and mountaineering teams from different parts of Turkey, officials said.

Images in Turkish media showed the battered car swaying from dislodged cables on the side of the rocky mountain as medics tended the wounded.

The accident happened on the three-day public holiday in Turkey marking the end of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, which sees families flock to coastal resorts.

The cable car carries tourists from Konyaalti beach to a restaurant and viewing platform at the summit of the 618 metre Tunektepe peak.

Antalya Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office has launched an investigation.

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