Haifa Cable Car Malfunction Leaves 16 Stranded; Commentator Shares Fear

By מערכת ice

Translated & summarized from Ice by baba

BusinessCharged tone

Hebrew · 5 newsrooms covering

Sixteen passengers were stranded for about an hour on Haifa's cable car system Thursday after a technical malfunction halted operations. Journalist Shaul Amsterdamski shared his personal fear of cable cars following the incident. Rescue forces, including firefighters and paramedics, were deployed to evacuate the passengers. The cable car had resumed service just two days prior after scheduled maintenance.

The story in 5 lines · by baba

Sixteen passengers were stranded on Haifa's cable car system due to a technical malfunction.
Journalist Shaul Amsterdamski expressed his personal fear of cable cars on social media.
Rescue forces, including firefighters and paramedics, were involved in the evacuation.
The cable car resumed service Thursday after being stuck for about an hour.
The incident occurred two days after the cable car's scheduled maintenance concluded.

Haifa Cable Car Malfunction Leaves 16 Stranded; Commentator Shares Fear — Editorial illustration generated by baba News, not a photograph of the event.

A significant technical malfunction on Haifa's cable car system on Thursday left 16 passengers trapped in cabins at a high altitude, sparking public concern. Following the incident, journalist and economic commentator Shaul Amsterdamski shared his personal fear of cable cars on social media platform X, stating, "I'm really afraid to ride cable cars. This thing isn't good for me. I'm always convinced it's going to fall apart, and people always think I'm crazy. Until it happens." He expressed particular apprehension about cable cars in Italy or Israel, contrasting them with his experience in Japan. The cable car connects the Haifa Bay central bus station, the Technion, and the University of Haifa. The system stopped during a routine journey due to a technical fault. After some passengers were safely evacuated, 16 individuals remained stuck between the Dori and Checkpost stations. Yazid Suleiman, the cable car's CEO, told Radio Haifa that the company was addressing the issue, requiring a part replacement at the Checkpost station to free the stranded passengers. Rescue forces, including the special 'Lahav' unit, Magen David Adom (MDA) paramedics, and municipal police, were dispatched to the scene. A command post was established to coordinate rescue efforts, with Haifa Municipality CEO present to monitor the situation. After approximately one hour, all passengers were successfully rescued, and the cable car resumed operation. The incident occurred just two days after the cable car's operations were restored on November 10, following scheduled maintenance aimed at ensuring system safety. It remains unclear if the recent maintenance is connected to the current malfunction.