The harrowing moment a gondola dropped from a cable and rolled down a snow-covered mountainside at a Swiss ski resort was caught on camera. Dramatic footage captures the cabin breaking free and hurtling down the slope at the Titlis resort, flipping repeatedly as stunned spectators looked on.
The accident occurred in the centre of Engelberg, a village in the Swiss canton of Obwalden, prompting an immediate emergency response that included a rescue helicopter being dispatched amid concerns for anyone who might have been inside the fallen cabin. Early uncertainty about casualties was later resolved when local authorities confirmed that the sole occupant of the gondola had died, with no additional passengers on board at the time.
The incident unfolded during strong winds, which had already forced the closure of several lifts in the Titlis ski area, and eyewitnesses reported seeing the cabin overturn multiple times as it tumbled down the snowy slope.
The crash happened as powerful winds swept through the area, with gusts topping 80km/h, yet some lifts at Engelberg’s Titlis ski area — which spans 82km of pistes and reaches 3,238 metres — were still operating.
At around 11am local time (10.30am GMT), a gondola suddenly detached from the cable above the mid‑station, according to a witness quoted in Swiss media.
Additional footage from the scene shows a rescue helicopter touching down moments later, with emergency crews attempting to resuscitate a victim following the fall.
A similar accident occured in Italy last December, when six people — including a child — were injured after a cable car crashed into a station barrier while approaching the summit at what investigators said was an unsafe speed.
The impact left around one hundred passengers stranded in the Macugnaga cable car system in the Verbano‑Cusio‑Ossola area of Piedmont, more than 9,000 feet above ground.
Local reports indicated that the cabin had arrived at the mountain station far too quickly, prompting authorities to shut down the surrounding ski slopes and halt the lift entirely as emergency crews worked to evacuate those still trapped.