A terrifying accident at a Russian mountain resort left at least eight people injured after a chairlift suddenly collapsed, sending riders plummeting into a lake below.
The shocking incident happened on Friday, August 8, in the resort town of Nalchik in Russia’s Kabardino-Balkaria region, according to the Russian News Agency TASS.
Dramatic CCTV footage, shared on TikTok by Metro.uk, shows guests riding individual lift chairs when, without warning, the cable snapped and fell to the ground. Several chairs dropped straight into the water, while one rider was seen clinging to his seat just feet above the ground, narrowly avoiding a worse fall.
Initial reports said six people were hurt and five hospitalized with light to moderate injuries. But later updates from the regional Health Ministry revealed two more victims, bringing the total injured to eight — with some injuries far more serious than first thought. One person suffered a spinal cord injury, while another was rushed to intensive care in serious condition.
Authorities say the collapse happened around 5:45 p.m. local time. Rescuers from Russia’s Emergencies Ministry rushed to the scene, evacuating all 21 passengers who had been on the lift and launching a precautionary search-and-rescue operation.
Investigators believe worn-out cables may have caused the collapse, though officials stressed all possible causes are being examined.
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