30 Passengers Stranded for Nearly Two Hours on Haifa Cable Car

Approximately 30 passengers were left stranded for nearly two hours aboard Haifa's cable car system on Thursday after an unexplained malfunction brought operations to a halt.

Fire and rescue crews, along with Haifa Municipality emergency personnel, were dispatched to the scene and prepared to evacuate passengers from cabins suspended high above the ground. However, after a prolonged wait, the cable cars resumed moving, and the incident was resolved without the need for a rescue operation.

Magen David Adom (MDA) paramedics who arrived at the scene provided medical assistance to four passengers who experienced anxiety following the incident. The passengers were treated inside one of the ambulances stationed at the site.

The malfunction initially affected both sections of the cable car system, bringing operations to a complete standstill. Crews subsequently managed to restore service to the lower section, while the upper section remained out of operation.

Previous Malfunction Left Passengers Suspended in Midair

This is not the first time a technical malfunction has left passengers stranded aboard Haifa's cable car system. The cable car, which opened to the public in April 2022 following construction costs exceeding NIS 330 million, experienced a major breakdown just six months after beginning operations.

During that incident, an electrical malfunction disrupted service on the cable car route connecting the HaMifratz Central Bus Station and Check Post area with the Technion and the University of Haifa. The cabins came to a halt, leaving dozens of passengers suspended above the ground, some for approximately an hour.

Despite the lengthy delays and disruption, authorities reported that passengers were not in danger during the earlier incident.