Alps cable cars failure 'traps 110' in the French Alps

 

About 110 people have been stuck on a series of cable cars high above the glaciers of Mont Blanc in the French Alps, officials say.

A rescue operation is now under way, and reports say dozens of people have already been airlifted by helicopters.

The cable cars were at "an altitude of about 3,800m (12,468ft)", the prefect of the Haute-Savoie region, Georges-Francois Leclerc, told AFP news agency.

The problem was caused by cables that got crossed for "unknown reasons".
"We are in contact with the clients [in the cable cars]. They have water and some means of communication but are beginning to find it's taking a long time," Mathieu Dechavanne, the head of the cable company, told AFP news agency.

Italian and Swiss crews are taking part in the rescue operation, which involves three helicopters.
The cable cars offer tourists a panoramic view of Mont Blanc.