French helicopters to rescue 110 stuck in cable car at over 3000m

Helicopters are being sent to rescue 110 people stuck at over 3000 metres altitude in a cable vehicle that links France and Italy near Europe’s highest mountain, the Mont Blanc, police say.

Rescuers were reported to have said they hoped to have everyone safely off the cable auto before nightfall.

Four helicopters managed to rescue about 50 people from the cable cars before night fell over the Alps.

Emergency services have been drafted in to help with the high altitude rescue attempt.

Mathieu Dechavanne, CEO of the gondola management company, said: “This will take some time, but the weather is good”.

Chamonix mayor Eric Fournier said “the people stuck are being evacuated by helicopter” and added that “there’s nothing fundamentally to fear”.

AP reported Italian authorities were helping with the rescue.

French police said the evacuation was suspended at 9:30 p.m. (3:30 p.m. EDT, 19:30 GMT).

“We had just started from flagship station Helbronner on the Italian side, when everything froze”.

Emergency workers were spending the night in the remaining cable cars with blankets, warm clothing and food, French authorities told NBC News.

Italian and Swiss crews are taking part in rescue efforts.

The cable cars on the Mont Blanc range offer spectacular up-close views of Western Europe’s tallest mountains, glaciers and steep valleys deep below.

The transport attracts 600 visitors per hour, and half a million each year.