The General Director of the Civil Defense, Brigadier Raymond Khattar, praised the efforts made by Civil Defense personnel in cooperation and coordination with the Lebanese Army, which led to the rescue of individuals trapped in the cable car cabins due to a malfunction. He noted that he instructed a thorough investigation into the reasons behind the cable car's stoppage after two cabins collided, but "the priority remained in rescuing those trapped between heaven and earth."
For his part, the head of the service and operations unit in the Civil Defense, Walid Hashash, confirmed in an interview with "Al-Jadeed" that "the operation to evacuate the citizens stranded in the Jounieh cable car has, in principle, concluded, and communication is ongoing with the relevant parties to ensure that no additional individuals have been overlooked by rescue teams."
Today, Thursday, the Civil Defense announced the conclusion of rescue operations for those stranded in the cable car cabins from the coast of Al-Aalma to Harissa and continued its missions on the Jounieh highway. Operations concluded with people trapped in three cabins, with no more than eight individuals remaining.
The Army Command - Directorate of Guidance announced that "on December 28, 2023, the rescue operation for those trapped in the cable car cabins in Jounieh, carried out by the Lebanese Army's Commando Regiment in cooperation with the Civil Defense, was concluded from 12 PM to 7 PM, with the assistance of an Air Force helicopter that worked to identify the cabins where people were trapped. The commando unit rescued 34 individuals, while the Civil Defense rescued 8."
Due to a technical malfunction, several citizens found themselves stranded in the "cable car" before reaching Our Lady of Lebanon in Harissa. One of the contributors to the cable car company, Nagy Boulos, confirmed that "we regularly maintain the cables and cabins and everything related to the cable car," noting that "the cause of the malfunction has not yet been determined."
Father Rabi Choueiry and his family were rescued from one of the cabins in the Jounieh cable car, with the help of Civil Defense personnel.
The Minister of Tourism in the caretaker government, Walid Nassar, affirmed that "there is no danger to those trapped in the cable car cabins, and we must be mindful of the factor of time and rescue everyone before evening falls." Nassar indicated that "a military helicopter was sent to the area’s woods to assist in the rescue operation, as it is technically impossible to complete the rescue operation without helicopters," emphasizing that he is "on his way to Jounieh to monitor the situation on the ground."
Rescue operations are ongoing, and Minister of Tourism Walid Nassar inspects the cable car in Harissa. Teams from the Lebanese Red Cross have also developed a rescue plan in cooperation with the Civil Defense to evacuate those trapped. A video captured by a citizen stranded in the air shows several cable car units colliding.
