In brief
A skiing disaster at the Astún ski resort in the Pyrenees has led to injuries among ten individuals, amidst alarming eyewitness accounts and ongoing investigations into the cause.
The incident, which transpired at the Astún resort in the Spanish Pyrenees, resulted in ten injuries, including two women who are currently in intensive care. Initially, reports indicated that 30 people were injured, but clarification from local media later revealed that 17 had required medical attention. Rescue services rapidly responded, and injured skiers were transported via ambulances and helicopters to hospitals in the vicinity. Eyewitness accounts highlight the chaos as the resort was swiftly closed for emergency operations. A pulley failure reportedly caused a cable to slacken, leading to several ski lift chairs plummeting to the ground, with some skiers thrown into the snow. Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez expressed his shock regarding the situation and has been in contact with regional officials to provide governmental support.TVE, the state broadcaster, reported that a pulley at one end of the chairlift detached, resulting in a structural collapse that dislodged part of the cable. Jaime Pelegri, an eyewitness on the lift during the collapse, described the alarming experience, stating, “It was very scary, but very fast.” He noted that emergency services arrived on the scene remarkably quickly, within just 15 minutes.Social media images have surfaced, allegedly showing one of the chairlift's flywheels dislodged from its position, fueling speculation about the underlying cause of the catastrophe. In light of this disaster, Regional President Jorge Azcón and Minister of the Interior Roberto Bermúdez de Castro visited the accident site, reassuring the public that necessary services are mobilized to assist those impacted. A dedicated telephone line has been established for families of the victims, as the popular tourist destination closes its doors in the wake of this tragic event, which marks a somber moment for the skiing community in Spain’s Aragon region, situated near the French border.
