Saturday turned tragic at the Pavagadh hill in Panchmahals when six workers were killed after the wire of the ropeway they were using to transport material for ongoing renovation work at the temple snapped, sending the car plunging into the valley beneath.
The victims were employees working on the project. Though the ropeway was meant only for materials, workers had made it routine to ride it up and down the hill as a shortcut. On Saturday, the goods ropeway, which was being used for several months, suddenly snapped when its main cable broke.
The loaded trolley hurtled downwards, slammed into an iron tower with a thunderous crash and then toppled into the valley below.
Local MLA Jayadrath Singh Parmar rushed to the site with district administration officials. “All six people in the trolley have died,” Parmar confirmed, adding, “Among the deceased, two are from Jammu and Kashmir, one from Rajasthan, and three are local workers.”
Panchmahal Collector Ajay Dahiya said, “The deceased comprise two lift operators, two labourers and two others. The impact of the fall was near the base point,” he said. The bodies were taken to government hospital in Halol.
Questions over safety standards
The accident has sparked outrage and serious questions about safety standards. Sources revealed that despite warnings, workers often hitched rides in the goods trolleys, putting themselves at risk. District officials have ordered an immediate inquiry into why the cable snapped, whether regular maintenance checks were carried out, and why labourers were allowed to use the goods ropeway.
Superintendent of Police Haresh Dudhat confirmed an investigation is underway. The popular temple at the summit of Pavagadh hill, dedicated to Goddess Kali, sits at a height of around 800 metres. A villager near the site summed up the mood: “We had come here to serve the goddess and earn our bread. Instead, we saw our brothers die before our eyes.”
A larger disaster was averted as the main ropeway used by the public had already been shut for the past two days due to poor weather. Eyewitnesses reported the accident took place amid heavy rain and dense fog.