AOSTA -- Funicular breakdown on Mont Blanc causes 16 people to have to spend the night in cable cars hanging at heights of over 3,000 metres, mountain rescue sources said Friday.

 The cable cars got stuck in their tracks Thursday afternoon, leaving over 100 people hanging over the slopes of the highest mountain in the alps on the line from the French station of L'Aiguille du Midi to Punta Helbronner on the Italian border.

 During the afternoon, over 80 people were rescued using helicopters, including many by Italian helicopter rescue services from Aosta, and about 30 in some of cars closest to the ground were able to climb out. But cloud cover was high making visibility conditions very low, meaning that rescue services had to stop at 8.45pm for safety reasons.

 In the groups of people stuck in the cars overnight were also families with children. The French rescue services remained in radio contact with them, making sure they had water, means of communication, and emergency blankets in the cable cars.

 During the night a small helicopter rescue team of two Italian and three French police officers continued attempting to carry out the rescue work. It was very difficult due to poor climate conditions but they managed to get into a car with a child aged 10 on board.

 The incident came about through a crossing of the line’s cables, but the precise reason for the entanglement still remains unknown.

 Friday morning at about 8am the cable cars were put into movement again, and the passengers arrived at Italian Punta Helbronner station, then transferred back to France by bus. Two were taken to hospital and remain in a state of shock. 

 nkd