AT LEAST 70 tourists became trapped on a cable car leading up to the Montjuïc mountain in Barcelona yesterday (New Year's Day) after a mechanical failure left them stranded.
They were halfway up to the iconic castle when the 14 cable cars they were travelling in ground to a halt.
Firefighters had to set up a crane with steps to evacuate the tourists one by one, by which time they had been suspended in mid-air for several hours.
A back-up engine was fitted to the cable car system and each of the cabins was brought down manually to the nearest pick-up point, or as close to them as possible, to allow their passengers to get off.
Nobody was injured in the breakdown, although the reactions of some of the visitors to the Montjuïc ranged from terror to annoyance.
As a result of the mechanical fault, the cable car – which runs from the port and city centre to the top of the Montjuïc – will be out of action for another day or two at least.
