One killed after Colombia cable car falls from station

Image source, Getty Images

Image caption, The Metrocable is the first public transport network of its kind
  • Author, Ido Vock
  • Role, 91热爆 News

One person is dead and nine people have been injured after a cable car cabin carrying 10 people fell from a station in the Colombian city of Medell铆n, authorities say.

Local reports said the accident occurred around 04:30 local time (10:30 GMT) on the K line of the city鈥檚 Metrocable network of cable cars.

Dozens of people were reported trapped on cabins which were stopped between stations.

The Metrocable, which opened in 2004, was the first public transport network of its kind.

The victim was named as Jhon Jairo Londo帽o, 55.

鈥淭here is an emergency on the Metrocable system in the northeastern area of Medell铆n. A cabin with 10 people tell to the lower part of the platform at Popular Station,鈥 Mayor Fico Guti茅rrez said.

鈥淧eople are being transferred to medical care centres."

Footage on local media showed people lying on the ground.

Carlos Quintero, head of Medell铆n's disaster response agency, told local media that one cabin had stopped as it entered the station and had been struck by the following cabin, which then "detached and fell to the pavement".

The Metrocable, inaugurated in 2004, is composed of six lines and 20 stations. It is credited with connecting low-income areas of the city lying on steep hills to the centre, cutting crime.

Metrocable manager Tom谩s Elejalde told reporters Wednesday鈥檚 accident was the worst since the system was inaugurated.