Chaos at Gulmarg Gondola: Tourists Face Stampede-Like Situation Amid Lax Safety Measures.
||Black and White Digital News||
||Tejveer Singh March 27, 2025||
Gulmarg: In what could have been a major disaster, tourists at the Gulmarg Gondola faced a harrowing stampede-like situation on Thursday morning, exposing the glaring inadequacies in managing one of Asia’s highest and longest cable car projects. The chaos has raised serious questions about the safety protocols and crowd management at this world-famous tourist attraction, which has long been a jewel in Jammu and Kashmir’s tourism industry.
A Near-Disaster Unfolds:
Eyewitnesses described scenes of panic and disorder as large crowds jostled to board the gondola, with no visible effort from the management to regulate the influx. “There were no proper queues, no crowd control measures. Everyone was pushing and shoving, and at one point, we thought someone would get crushed,” said Ananya Sharma, a tourist from Delhi.
Visitors recounted how ticket holders, including families with children and elderly tourists, were forced into a chaotic scramble, with no clear instructions or system to manage the flow. The situation was exacerbated by a lack of barricades, absent security personnel, and a failure to ensure staggered entry.
“Despite paying a hefty price for tickets, we were treated like a herd. If there was an emergency, there’s no way people could escape safely,” lamented Rohit Mehta, another tourist.
Systemic Failures Exposed:
The Gulmarg Gondola, operated by the Jammu and Kashmir Cable Car Corporation (JKCCC), is one of the region’s biggest tourist draws. However, the incident on Thursday has once again highlighted the administration’s failure to implement a robust system for handling peak-season rush.
Experts have long warned about the lack of proper infrastructure at the gondola’s base station and mid-station, where thousands of tourists converge, especially during holidays and snowfall seasons. The absence of designated waiting areas, mismanagement in ticket verification, and failure to deploy adequate security personnel have all contributed to an increasingly hazardous situation.
“This is not the first time such a situation has arisen at Gulmarg Gondola,” said a local tour operator. “The authorities have been repeatedly warned about the lack of a structured boarding system, but little has changed over the years.”
Authorities Under Fire:
The Jammu and Kashmir Tourism Department and JKCCC have come under sharp criticism for their apparent negligence. In response to Thursday’s incident, officials have stated that they are looking into the matter, but tourists and locals alike remain skeptical.
“The administration wakes up only when a disaster strikes. Why does it take public outrage to enforce basic safety measures?” questioned a local hotelier.
Social media has been flooded with videos and images of the incident, with netizens demanding urgent intervention from the Lieutenant Governor’s office. Many have compared the mismanagement at Gulmarg with international tourist destinations, where strict crowd control measures ensure smooth functioning of similar attractions.
A Disaster Waiting to Happen?
Safety experts warn that if immediate action is not taken, Gulmarg Gondola could soon witness a catastrophic incident. With thousands of tourists visiting daily, even a minor mishap could lead to devastating consequences.
Key concerns include:
●Lack of crowd management protocols leading to stampede-like situations.
●No emergency exit plans in case of technical failures or panic-induced rush.
●Overloading concerns, as there is no mechanism to monitor how many tourists are crammed into waiting areas.
●Poor communication systems, with no proper announcements or personnel guiding the crowd.
Given the history of accidents in similar high-altitude cable car systems worldwide, the current negligence at Gulmarg is alarming. The 2022 Deoghar ropeway tragedy in Jharkhand, where several people were stranded mid-air and lives were lost due to poor rescue coordination, serves as a grim reminder of what could go wrong if safety is ignored.
Will This Be a Wake-Up Call?
While the tourism department claims to be reviewing the incident, the lack of concrete action over the years suggests otherwise. Tourists and stakeholders are now demanding:
●Strictly enforced ticketing and boarding schedules to avoid overcrowding.
●Deployment of trained personnel for crowd management.
●Emergency response drills and infrastructure upgrades to handle any crisis.
●A transparent investigation into the lapses witnessed on Thursday.
As Gulmarg continues to attract an increasing number of visitors, the onus is on the authorities to ensure that such chaos does not escalate into a full-blown disaster. The question remains: Will this warning be heeded, or will it take a tragedy to finally bring about change?
Sajad Gani Lone
