Srinagar, May 27 -- The Gulmarg Gondola will remain closed for three days to undergo critical maintenance after a major technical malfunction left 312 tourists stranded mid-air on Monday. The crisis triggered a seven-hour rescue operation that concluded at 8.20pm on Monday under challenging weather conditions, including heavy rain and hailstorm. Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Omar Abdullah has ordered a thorough inquiry into the incident, asserting that responsibility for any operational or mechanical lapses will be fixed and appropriate action taken. Deputy chief minister Surinder Choudhary and local Tangmarg legislator Farooq Ahmad Shah personally monitored the ground situation, and a detailed report will be submitted to the chief minister to prevent future recurrences. The incident occurred when a critical gearbox failure abruptly halted Asia's highest ropeway, freezing 65 cabins between the base station and Phase 1, with some dangling nearly 500 feet above the ground. While a spare gearbox was available on-site, officials noted that replacing it requires an entire day, prompting authorities to immediately initiate vertical rescue. A joint rescue team, comprising the Indian Army's Chinar Corps, the High Altitude Warfare School (HAWS), the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), and local police spent seven hours using ropes, ladders, and all-terrain vehicles to safely evacuate the holidaymakers, including families and children. The Jammu and Kashmir Cable Car Corporation has suspended all operations on both phases of the ropeway until comprehensive safety audits are completed. Managing director Qamar Sajjad said that engineers are investigating whether the breakdown was entirely due to the gearbox or if other compounding factors were involved, adding that operations will only resume after definitive clearance. To accommodate affected visitors, officials announced that all tickets booked for May 25, 26, and 27 will be refunded in full. While the swift and professional coordination of the rescue teams received widespread praise from Union ministers Amit Shah and Rajnath Singh besides the J&K leadership, the accident has renewed scrutiny over safety protocols and emergency preparedness. Former tourism director Farooq Ahmad Shah said while the cable car rescue teams are French-trained, this marks the first major mechanical breakdown of its kind in 28 years, requiring a stringent review. Concurrently, concerns have emerged regarding the adequacy of high-altitude equipment. Local tourism stakeholders pointed out on social media that the Gondola administration must upgrade its inventory of specialised rescue gear-including modern harnesses -and implement mandatory, continuous emergency training for all employees to mitigate risks and prevent future hazards....