A maintenance worker has been killed and six others injured whilst carrying out routine inspection work on a cable car at the much-visited Titlis mountain region in central Switzerland. No tourists were hurt during the accident.
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The accident was caused when supports securing the main cable ripped free, striking the Titlis RailwaysExternal link workers. One person was so severely injured he died at the scene. Three others were rushed to hospital, two with serious injuries. A further three workers were lightly injured and could be treated on the spot.
Rescue workers have rushed to the scene on the Gerschnialp in Engelberg, canton Obwalden, including Rega helicopters who carried the injured workers to hospital. Forensic experts from Zurich will work with police and the canton Obwalden prosecutor’s office to determine the cause of the accident, it was announced.
Titlis Railways transports some 1.2 million tourists around the popular alpine resort every year, posting turnover of CHF80 million ($80.6 million) last year.
Tourism started to take off in the region with the construction of the Engelberg-Gerschnialp funicular railway in 1913, which was supplemented by the first cable car in 1927.
Today the company operates a total of five cable cars, six chair lifts, a glacier ski lift and the funicular railway. The “Titlis-Express” eight-seater gondola affected by the accident went into operation in 2015. It spans 2.7 kilometres and can transport 2,400 passengers per hour.
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