Srinagar, May 26 -- A technical malfunction abruptly halted operations across both phases of the Gulmarg cable car system on Monday afternoon, leaving more than 300 tourists stranded mid-air for seven hours and sparking widespread panic at the high-altitude resort. By evening, all 320 tourists had been rescued from 65 cabins, director general of police (DGP) Nalin Prabhat said. However, deputy chief minister Surinder Chowdhary, who visited the spot, pegged the number of the rescued tourists at 260. The rescue operation, which began around 1 pm concluded after 8 pm.

Officials said evacuation from some cabins took longer as these were hovering at a height of nearly 500 ft above ground. Heavy rains in the area also hampered efforts.

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