Eight people, including children, trapped nearly 300 metres above ground in malfunctioning chair lift in Pakistan

Helicopters have been sent to rescue those trapped in the cable car.
Helicopters have been sent to rescue those trapped in the cable car. Photo credit: Pakistan National Disaster Management Agency

Eight people, including six school children, were trapped in a malfunctioning chair lift in northern Pakistan on Tuesday, officials said, and a military helicopter has been dispatched to rescue them.

The children, who have been stranded since about 6am local time, were using the chair lift to get to school in a mountainous area in Battagram, about 200 kilometres (124 miles) north of Islamabad.

"A cable broke in a chair lift service, following which people have been trapped 900 feet (274 metres) above the ground," Pakistan's National Disaster Management Authority said in a statement.

It said an army helicopter had been moved to the area for a rescue operation after attempts at fixing the fault had been unsuccessful.

Reuters