Chairlift cable snaps on Mount Elbrus, killing three and injuring nine

Three people were killed and nine were injured after a chairlift cable snapped on the slopes of Mount Elbrus in Russia’s North Caucasus, officials said, sending suspended chairs crashing onto rocks with passengers still inside.

The accident occurred on September 12 on the final stage of a Soviet-era cable line that serves climbers and tourists near a base camp at about 12,140 feet above sea level, the republican Ministry of Emergency Situations said. Thirty-seven people were on the line at the time; nine were taken to hospital and three were pronounced dead at the scene.

The ministry said a message about the accident reached emergency services at about 15:30 Moscow time. It said the modern gondola portion of the cable car system had been undergoing routine maintenance from September 3 to 24 "to prepare for the winter season," and that riding the line was banned during that period. Investigators have said maintenance work was being carried out on the line when the cable failed.

Following the collapse, 25 tourists were reported stranded on the mountain after their backpacks and warm clothing remained in the cabins that fell. Those people were moved to cold-weather shelters and spent the night without their possessions, authorities said.

The cableway is operated by company MKD Elbrus. Russia’s Investigative Committee, the federal agency that probes major crimes, opened a criminal investigation into alleged safety violations. Local reports said the CEO and the head technician of MKD Elbrus were detained in connection with the probe; it was not immediately clear whether they faced formal charges.

Technical rooms at the lift stations were sealed and service on the line was suspended pending expert checks, the ministry said. The lift was originally installed in the 1970s and has been subject to periodic maintenance as operators prepare for the winter season.

Video circulated on social media and reported by local outlets showed chairs detaching from the cable and falling, with passengers heard screaming. Authorities have not released a full official reconstruction of events, and investigators have said they will examine maintenance records, equipment condition and possible violations of safety rules.

The accident follows other recent cableway incidents in Russia. Last month, a chairlift collapse at a Russian resort left several people injured after cars plunged into a lake and others fell to the ground; there were no fatalities in that incident, local reports said.

Rescue teams and medical personnel responded to the Elbrus accident, providing first aid on site and transporting the injured to nearby hospitals. The Investigative Committee and regional emergency services said inquiries would determine the technical and organizational causes of the failure and identify any criminal responsibility.

Officials did not immediately release the identities of the victims. Regional authorities and the operator said they would cooperate with investigators. The probe is ongoing, and further information, including whether any charges will be filed, has not yet been announced.