Gulmarg, May 26 -- A total of 312 tourists stranded mid-air after the Gulmarg Gondola developed a technical fault were rescued in a coordinated operation led by the High Altitude Warfare School (HAWS) under Major General Puneet Doval, officials said on Tuesday.

The cable car service, one of the world's highest, came to a halt earlier in the day, leaving passengers suspended in approximately 60 to 65 cabins at varying heights.

Maj Gen Doval, Commandant of HAWS, was among the first responders at the site. He established a control centre in coordination with the 19 Division of the Indian Army and the civil administration, officials said.

The rescue operation followed a two-pronged strategy, with teams moving downward from Phase-1 and othe...