A tragedy occurred at the Tünektepe Cable Car Facility due to the density of Ramazan Bayramı holiday. One of the poles collapsed for an unknown reason, causing the cabin to break into pieces and 8 people to fall onto a rocky area.
Upon receiving the notification from bystanders, fire fighters, police, health, and rescue teams were dispatched to the scene. The teams determined that Memiş Gümüş (54) had lost his life, and Özlem Şahin, Kaan Akgün, Fatih Gümüş, Keziban Çapar Gümüş, Lütfullah Kerim Gümüş, Herdem Eyüpoğlu, and Akmaral Abdyldaeva from Kyrgyzstan were injured.
The evacuation of the injured individuals was carried out by the Coast Guard Command’s helicopter. Due to the cable car system stopping after the incident, many people were trapped in the cabins.
Efforts were made to safely lower the trapped individuals and support from rescue teams in surrounding cities was requested. A gendarmerie helicopter with night flying capabilities arrived at the site to assist in rescue operations.
98 people were successfully evacuated
Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya stated on social media that 4 helicopters from the Coast Guard Command were actively involved in the rescue operations. Yerlikaya emphasized that the rescue operations were meticulously maintained and provided the following details: “98 people in the 15 cabins hanging in the air were successfully evacuated. 543 search and rescue personnel consisting of AFAD, gendarmerie, police, military, UMKE, NGOs, and firefighters, along with 7 helicopters, 1 military transport plane, 108 vehicles, and 6 ambulances, were assigned to the area.”
4 helicopters actively participate in rescue operations
AFAD also issued a statement regarding the accident on social media. The statement mentioned that 543 search and rescue personnel from AFAD, gendarmerie, police, military, UMKE, NGOs, and firefighters, along with 7 helicopters, 1 military transport plane, and 6 ambulances, were deployed to the region. It was reported that lighting equipment was sent to the area to facilitate night search and rescue operations, and 4 Coast Guard helicopters were actively involved in rescue operations.
AFAD President Okay Memiş revealed that upon receiving the accident report, they immediately coordinated with the Governorship, Metropolitan Municipality, Coast Guard Command, gendarmerie, police, search and rescue, and health teams. He mentioned expert mountaineering teams were also involved in the intervention efforts and stated that they were conducting evacuation operations with precision.
“We are in constant contact with those trapped in the cable car”
Memiş stated that they were in constant communication with those trapped in the cable car and praised their calm demeanor, thanking them for their cooperation. He assured that they were aiming to finalize their operations in the coming hours. Memiş emphasized that there were no citizens with chronic illnesses or in distress among those rescued, and that the rescued individuals were examined by health teams and taken to the hospital if necessary.
As for the cause of the accident, Memiş mentioned that AFAD was focused on rescuing the citizens, while the investigation into the cause of the accident would be carried out by judicial authorities.
“24-member medical team was assigned”
Health Minister Fahrettin Koca announced that 1 person died and 10 were injured in the cable car accident in Antalya’s Konyaalti district. He stated that the injured were taken to hospitals for treatment after initial aid and their conditions were not serious. Minister Koca assured that rescue efforts were ongoing for those trapped in the cabins.
Regarding the investigation into the incident, Justice Minister Yılmaz Tunç expressed condolences to the deceased and wished for the speedy recovery of the injured citizens. He mentioned that a team of 5 experts, including mechanical engineer, electrical engineer, and occupational health and safety specialists, had been appointed to determine the cause of the accident. An ad hoc enquiry, coordinated by a Deputy Chief Public Prosecutor and a Public Prosecutor, was also launched.
Military aircraft and helicopters were assigned to support rescue operations
The Ministry of National Defense assigned a C-130 aircraft and an AS-532 Cougar helicopter from the Turkish Armed Forces to assist in rescue efforts for the citizens trapped in the cable car accident.
