Nassar blames Energy Ministry after 25 people stranded and rescued from 'Teleferique'

Twenty-five people including women and children were on Thursday stranded mid-air for hours in Jounieh’s cable car system (Teleferique du Liban).

The passengers were eventually rescued by troops from the army’s Airborne Regiment and Civil Defense crews in a strenuous operation involving helicopters, ropes and ladders.

According to a statement issued by the cable car system’s operator, the automatic safety system shut down the cable car system after two empty cars collided.

Inspecting the site, caretaker Tourism Minister Walid Nassar noted that the Teleferique is under the authority of the Energy Ministry and that the authorization had ended in 2022, revealing that he has sent a memo to the Energy Ministry asking why it is in charge of the cable car system and not the Tourism Ministry.

Urging accountability, Nassar noted that the cable car system is decades old and that its malfunctions do not resemble those of “cars” but rather those of “planes.”

“The Lebanese citizen, the technician, the engineer and the franchise’s owner must understand that it is prohibited to witness any mistake,” Nassar added.

The operator, the Lebanese Company for the Development of Tourism and the Telefirque, issued a statement on Friday noting that its franchise expires in 2026 and did not expire in 2022 as announced by Nassar.

The incident caused panic among the passengers as some women and children fainted.

Father Rabih Choueiri, who was stranded along with his children for several hours, said that “a miracle happened, because the collision took place between two empty compartments, which contributed to avoiding a real disaster.”