Ski lift collapse in northern Spain leaves 30 injured

At least 30 people were injured in a ski lift accident at the Astun resort in Spain’s Pyrenees mountain range, according to emergency services in the northern Aragon region. Ten of the injured required hospital treatment, including two in serious condition.

The incident, which occurred on Saturday, left around 80 people stranded on chairlifts.

Witnesses described scenes of chaos, with one telling state broadcaster TVE: “It’s like a cable has come off, the chairs have bounced, and people have been thrown off.”

Fernando Beltran, Spain’s government representative in Aragon, later confirmed on X (formerly Twitter) that all skiers affected had been evacuated and were receiving medical care.

The cause of the accident remains under investigation.

Many helicopters were deployed to the scene to rescue those trapped and transport the injured to nearby hospitals. Videos and images on social media showed several people lying in the snow beneath the ski lift.

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez was also “shocked” at the incident, and extended his support to the injured and their families.

Astun resort management stated on X that it was “working with emergency services” and that its management expressed “consternation and support for those affected” by the incident.