Numerous individuals were successfully rescued in the early morning of Friday after being trapped for nearly 10 hours on a popular tourist cable car in Quito, the capital of Ecuador. In a joint effort involving firefighters and the police, a total of 75 people were safely brought to the ground, unharmed, as confirmed by the Quito municipality.

The passengers had been stranded for almost 10 hours due to an electrical issue that paralyzed the cable car system. The statement from the municipality specified that 48 individuals who were stuck at the highest terminal, situated at an altitude of approximately 4,000 meters (13,120 feet), were safely rescued. 

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Additionally, 17 people were successfully evacuated from gondolas stuck on the cable line, while another 10 reached the ground after the system resumed operation.

The cable car transports passengers over a distance of 2.5 kilometers (1.5 miles) between two terminals, with the lowest terminal located at an altitude of 3,100 meters above sea level. Videos shared on the municipality’s Twitter account depicted individuals being lowered to safety from the gondolas. 

Others, including children, were seen emerging from the cabins after they had returned safely to the ground, wrapped in emergency blankets.