In a heartbreaking incident in southern Turkey, a cable car carrying 174 people on the Tunektepe peak became stranded after one pod collided with a pole and burst open. The accident tragically resulted in the death of one person, while seven individuals sustained injuries after plummeting to the rocks below.

Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya confirmed the successful completion of the rescue operation on Saturday, nearly 23 hours after the incident. The operation involved 607 search and rescue personnel, along with 10 helicopters from various emergency response agencies such as AFAD, the Coast Guard, firefighting teams, and mountain rescue teams from different parts of Turkey.

Throughout the night, helicopters equipped with night-vision capabilities tirelessly worked to safely evacuate the stranded individuals. The passengers had been trapped on the cable car since 5:30 p.m. on Friday, as the power went out and the pod flipped multiple times. One survivor, Hatice Polat, expressed the horrifying experience, stating, "The night was awful, we were very scared... It was torture being up there for seven hours. It is swaying every second, you're constantly in fear... It was very traumatic; I don't know how we'll get over this trauma."

Authorities identified the deceased victim as a 54-year-old Turkish man. Among the injured were two children and six Turkish citizens, along with one Kyrgyz national. Coast Guard helicopters promptly rescued them after the crash and transported them for medical treatment. Disturbing images captured by Turkish media depicted the battered cable car, dangling precariously from dislodged cables, as medics attended to the wounded.

Yerlikaya also mentioned that 13 people rescued from other cars were taken to hospitals for checkups. An investigation has been launched by the Antalya Chief Public Prosecutor's Office, and an expert commission, consisting of mechanical and electrical engineers, as well as health and safety experts, has been assigned to determine the cause of the incident.

The cable car, operated by the Antalya Metropolitan Municipality, is a popular attraction among tourists, ferrying them from Konyaalti beach to a restaurant and viewing platform at the summit of the 618-meter (2,010-foot) Tunektepe peak. The cable car line underwent major inspections at the beginning of the year, in addition to routine checks throughout.

As the community mourns the loss and supports the injured, the investigation into this tragic cable car accident aims to provide answers and prevent such incidents from occurring in the future.