Ski horror as at least 17 seriously injured by chair lift collapse at Spanish resort

A chair lift on the Astun station at a Spanish ski resort has broken with 17 people seriously injured after falling to the ground and they have been taken to local hospitals

A chair lift broke at a ski resort in Spain causing people to fall to the ground with at least 17 badly injured and three in a critical condition.

Emergency services have rushed to the scene at the Astún station, in Canal Roya, in the north east of Spain, and are using helicopters to urgently treat and transport the injured with reports that dozens remain trapped. It is feared as many as 30 people could be injured, but local government has said the true number won’t be known until evacuations are completed. The local authority stated: “Chairlift accident at the Astún ski resort with multiple injuries.”

All the local hospitals at Jaca, Huesca, Miguel Servet, Clínico Universitario, Royo Villanova and Barbastro are receiving the injured. The police stated: “We are collaborating in the rescue efforts following an accident at the Astún ski resort (Huesca) where a 15-metre high chairlift line has fallen. Civil Guards from the Mountain Rescue and Intervention Group, Air Service and Citizen Security are taking part, together with the rest of the emergency services.”

Oscar, who was on the slopes, said: “A pulley wheel appears to have broken or come loose and the cable started to jump around and every time it happened we went up and down. We were lucky in that we didn’t hit the ground but there were people in front of us who did hit the ground and received blows to their faces and other parts of their body.”

Another person said: “The slopes were full, because it was a sunny day and there was good snow. One of the wheels that makes the chairs turn has broken, people ended up swinging up and down, a camber effect, some have been completely upside down and face down.”

Hospitals in Zaragoza have also received an alert due to the seriousness of the chair lift collapse, local media reports. The cause of the incident isn’t yet known for certain, although it seems that a chairlift has come down due to a problem with the cable. The winter resort which was packed, with many people skiing at the weekend from the region, is now closed.

People have taken to social media who saw the accident with one person writing on X: “Look out, it seems that at least one chair has fallen at #Astún . Many ambulances are coming up.” Another person stated: “Accident in Astún. The Canal Roya chair lift has fallen. Luckily we are fine but there are injured people, we have seen several stretchers coming down.”

Spanish PM Pedro Sanchez said on X: “Shocked by the news of the accident at Astun ski resort. I have spoken to Aragon president Jorge Azcon to offer him the government’s full support.” The President of the Government of Aragon, Jorge Azcón, and the Minister of the Interior, Roberto Bermúdez de Castro, are at the ski resort. Mr Azcón said on X: “All the necessary services of the DGA are working to assist the affected and injured people.”

Several helicopters from Aragon, the Civil Guard and the Emergency Services have been mobilised to assist the victims of the accident. In addition, the special emergency plan has been activated in the hospitals of Huesca and Zaragoza. According to the Government of Aragon, four helicopters have been brought in, while there are fire crews at the site, as well as 10 ambulances and paramedics along with psychologists to assist the victims and their families.