A woman was killed when a ski gondola crashed down a snowy mountain at Engelberg ski resort in the Swiss Alps, local officials say.
Police in the central Swiss canton of Nidwalden say the gondola detached from the cable for reasons that are still unclear at about 11:00 (10:00 GMT) on Wednesday.
Eyewitnesses reported strong winds buffeting the mountainside at the time of the crash.
Dramatic video footage has emerged showing the gondola tumbling down Mt Titlis and flipping over several times before coming to a halt.
Authorities later confirmed that the victim was a 61-year-old woman from the region, and the cause of the crash is now under investigation.
Nidwalden canton police indicated that the woman was alone in the gondola when it detached after leaving the Trübsee station during its ascent.
The rescue operation involved air rescue services, ambulances, and police officers responding to the scene.
Another video posted on social media showed rescuers moving toward the crash site through deep snow.
A skier recounted experiencing extremely strong winds, stating the gondolas were swaying significantly, with police reporting gusts exceeding 80km/h (50mph). The gondola service is typically paused when winds surpass 60km/h.
Witness accounts describe the harrowing moment, with one skier stating, My mother looked at me and said suddenly - look, a gondola is falling. A local schoolboy, who was present at the ski camp, expressed his shock at the event.
Following the incident, cable car service was suspended, leading authorities to safely escort between 100 and 200 passengers from around 40 gondolas.
The ski lift managers expressed their condolences, emphasizing their thoughts for the victim's family.
