Alpe d'Huez cable car collision leaves 23 injured

A cable car collided with a construction crane in the Alpe d'Huez ski resort on Wednesday morning, resulting in 23 injuries. The incident occurred around 09:30 on the Pic Blanc line as a cabin carrying approximately 50 people was leaving a station at an altitude of 2,700 meters.

According to local authorities and the Mayor of Alpe d'Huez, Jean-Yves Noyrey, the impact caused the cabin to tilt, causing passengers to slide inside. While cable cars are designed to stabilize during sudden braking, the collision with the crane's articulated arm caused the cabin to incline. The operator managed to reverse the cabin to level it out.

Of the 23 victims, three were seriously injured and treated as absolute emergencies, while 13 were treated for relative emergencies. Most victims were treated at a local medical office, but five were transferred to the Grenoble University Hospital, including a pregnant woman. Gendarmes are currently investigating the circumstances, with preliminary suggestions that the crane operator may have been unaware of the cable car passing overhead.