Several people were injured Saturday, two seriously after a ski lift failed in the ski resort of Astun, in Spain’s Aragon province not far from the country’s border with France. Photo by Javier Blasco/EPA-EFE
Jan. 18 (UPI) — Over a dozen people were injured including three who suffered serious injuries after a ski lift collapsed in a resort town in northern Spain on Saturday.
“The accident caused around fifteen injuries, three of them seriously injured and taken to hospital. We wish them all a speedy and favourable recovery,” the Astún Ski Resort said in a statement on its website.
“The causes of the accident are unknown and are currently being investigated. The facility has all the permits and inspections. The protocols for rescue and transfer of injured people have worked correctly, with all users of the lift being evacuated in two and a half hours.”
⚠️ Activado Plan Territorial de Protección Civil (PLATEAR) en Fase de Emergencia nivel 1 por accidente de telesilla en Astún (HU) con múltiples víctimas, desde las 12:00 h de hoy, día 18. pic.twitter.com/pKCoUqVH6J— 112 Aragón (@112Aragon) January 18, 2025
Ambulances and helicopters were immediately deployed to the scene where chairs on the ski lift can rise up to 50 feet above the ground. No fatalities have been reported.
Witnesses told the BBC they saw a cable supporting the lift lose tension before collapsing.
The ski resort is located in the Pyrenees mountains in Spain’s Aragon region, not far from the country’s border with France.
Initially, 30 people were assessed for injury following the accident, with 10 taken to hospitals in the area, the Government of Aragon Emergency Center said on X.
A post on X by the regional government directed people to the emergency center.
Officials said in the post 20 people were quickly discharged after receiving initial treatment.
The ski facility was closed for the remainder of the day.
“Informed of the accident at the Astún ski resort, I am travelling there from Formigal in the company of Councillor Bermúdez de Castro. All necessary DGA services are working to care for affected and injured people,” Regional President of Aragon Jorge Azcon said in Spanish on X, translated to English by Google.