Austrian ski gondola crashes in Hochoetz injuring Danish family

At the Hochoetz ski resort in Tyrol, Austria, a cable car accident occurred that left four members of a Danish family seriously injured. The gondola they were in plummeted approximately 10-12m (33-39ft) after a tree fell onto a support cable on Tuesday morning. The challenging rescue operation was hindered by the steep and difficult terrain beneath the gondola, making it hard for emergency workers to reach the scene. Additionally, two other individuals were injured in the incident. Despite the efficient functioning of the rescue chain, the stony area where the gondola crashed posed significant challenges for the rescue operation.

The group inside the gondola comprised a father, his son and daughter, and their uncle. A helicopter winched them from the scene, with one of the family members transported to a hospital in Innsbruck with life-threatening injuries. Two German citizens in another gondola also suffered injuries due to the vibrations caused by the cable, although their conditions were not immediately known. The cable car route, known as Acherkogelbahn, showed no signs of technical faults, and there was no evidence of human error, according to the police.

One puzzling aspect of the incident is the cause of the tree falling onto the support cable. District police commandant Hubert Juen mentioned to the Kurier website that either a tree or branches landed directly on the bracket to which the gondola was attached. Authorities are investigating this aspect to understand the circumstances leading to the tragic accident. Notably, despite dozens of other gondolas being attached to the support cable at the time, none were affected by the crash, adding a layer of complexity to the investigation.

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