Haifa Cable Car Malfunction Leaves 16 Stranded; Commentator Shares Fear

Emergency services, including Israel Fire and Rescue Services, Magen David Adom, and municipal police, rushed to the scene and established a command post. Firefighters, including the special Lehava rescue unit, prepared for a complex high-altitude rescue involving rappelling to the cabins. Haifa Municipality officials, including Director-General David Luria and Mayor Yona Yahav, monitored the situation closely, with the municipality assuring the public that the technical issue posed no danger.

While the lower section of the line was eventually restarted, allowing some passengers to exit, 16 passengers remained trapped in the upper section between the Dori and Checkpost stations. The cable car's CEO, Yazid Suleiman, stated that a part replacement was required at the Checkpost station to resolve the issue. The system eventually resumed operation, and all remaining passengers were safely evacuated without the need for specialized high-altitude extraction equipment.

This incident marks the second major malfunction since the 330 million shekel cable car system opened in April 2022. Coincidentally, a large-scale rescue drill simulating this exact scenario had been conducted at the site by emergency forces just three days prior, on Monday evening.