A gondola on the TITLIS Xpress lift at the Titlis ski resort in Engelberg, canton of Obwalden, in Switzerland, detached from its cable and crashed on Wednesday morning, killing the sole occupant. The accident occurred shortly before 11:00 a.m. local time, just below the Trübsee middle station in the direction of Schlächtismatt, according to a statement from the Nidwalden cantonal police.

The victim’s identity has not been released. Nidwalden cantonal police confirmed the individual sustained fatal injuries and said the cause of death had not been formally established at the time of their statement. Investigators said the circumstances surrounding the detachment are under active investigation.

Air rescue service Rega dispatched a helicopter to the scene. Following the crash, Titlis-Bahnen shut down the entire gondola system and began an hour-long operation to evacuate passengers stranded in other gondolas along the line.

At a media conference on Wednesday, Titlis-Bahnen CEO Norbert Patt addressed the press and confirmed the evacuation had been completed. “A gondola should simply not crash,” Patt said, adding that the lift was in the latest technical condition. He said the company would make all available camera footage accessible to investigators. Patt did not confirm whether the mountain railroad would resume operations the following day. Guests who purchased a day ticket on Wednesday will receive a refund.
TITLIS Xpress gondola.

One witness told Swiss outlet 20 Minuten that staff made announcements over the resort’s loudspeakers telling passengers in stationary gondolas they were safe and should remain calm, with cable car employees stationed at almost every mast along the line.

Strong wind conditions preceded the incident. MeteoSwiss recorded gusts reaching up to 80 miles per hour (130 km/h) at exposed locations above 5,900 feet (1,800 metres) in the region. The national weather service had issued a level 2 wind warning, classified as “moderate danger” for the area, and several other installations at the Titlis mountain railroad had already been shuttered due to the conditions before the crash occurred.
Titlis Ski Area, Switzerland.
The TITLIS Xpress Trübsee–Stand gondola line opened in 2015. The lift runs just under 6,230 feet (1,900 metres) in length and carries passengers to ski terrain at approximately 7,900 feet (2,400 metres). Each gondola is rated for eight passengers. The system was manufactured by Garaventa, a Swiss cableway company that has operated as a subsidiary of the Austrian Doppelmayr Group since 2002.

The Swiss Safety Investigation Board, known by its German acronym SUST, has assumed the lead role in determining the cause of the accident and conditions for any potential reopening of the lift. The Nidwalden cantonal police are conducting a parallel criminal investigation.

This is a developing story. SnowBrains will update as further information becomes available.
TITLIS Xpress Gondola. | Photo: Unsplash