Nearly 300 people were evacuated from a high-mountain station in the Swiss Alps after a cable car to the top broke down. The incident occurred at the Glacier 3000 ski resort in the Les Diablerets mountain massif in southwestern Switzerland. The technical issue was detected around 11:00 am and involved an electrical failure in the engine system of the cable car.

Fortunately, no one was harmed, and the cable car was equipped with a special engine that allowed for the safe evacuation of the tourists onboard. Initially, the tourists at the top station were asked to wait and enjoy the magnificent views while the technical staff attempted to fix the problem. The weather was beautiful, and people were provided with food and drinks at the mountaintop restaurant during this time. However, shortly before 1:00 pm, it was decided to evacuate the station. Around 270 people, mostly tourists, were taken by chairlift down to the glacier below, where they were then picked up by helicopters.

The operation involved the use of two helicopters, which flew the evacuated individuals to the middle station. From there, they were able to catch the functioning chairlift on the first section back down to Col Du Pillon. The entire evacuation process took less than two hours, and some technical staff members remained at the top to continue working on fixing the problem. The Glacier 3000 chief executive, Bernhard Tschannen, expressed hopes that everything would be back to normal the following day, pending confirmation. This incident serves as a timely reminder of the importance of contingency plans and preparedness in high-mountain areas.