Pakistani PM honours rescuers who freed 8 people from broken cable car

Pakistan’s caretaker Prime Minister Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar on Thursday paid tribute to the commandos and volunteers who rescued six schoolchildren and two adults after they were trapped in a broken cable car dangling over a valley in the northwest.

Tuesday's 16-hour rescue operation in Battagram, a district in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, was widely hailed for its successful outcome.

Initially, one of the youngest was grabbed by a commando attached to a helicopter by rope, while others were lowered to the ground with the help of volunteers using a makeshift chairlift built by villagers from a wooden bed frame and ropes.

During the ceremony in the capital, Islamabad, Kakar embraced the rescuers and handed them certificates in acknowledgement of their actions, saying he was proud of them. The eight rescued people were also in attendance.

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In televised remarks, Kakar said when he heard the news about the incident, he felt as if his own son was among those trapped in the broken cable car.

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