Vadodara: A trolley of the cargo ropeway crashed into a cabin during maintenance work atop Pavagadh — a popular pilgrim destination near Vadodara. No one was injured but the cabin was damaged. Locals said that the sound of the crash reverberated through the valley.Officials of Usha Breco, the company that manages the ropeway, said the accident occurred happened during routine maintenance work. ‘It was related to a scheduled shutdown for checking and servicing of material transportation cable crane at Pavagadh project site when some sound was heard. As per the operating team during checking of the drive and brake system with empty bucket, a carriage hit the structure,’ the company’s official statement said.“There is no injury to anyone or any loss of material. The team was fully prepared and equipped with all safety provisions. The material cable crane system is safe,’ the statement added. The cargo ropeway is used to transport material to the temple and villages on the hill.Lakhs of pilgrims visit Pavagadh every Navratri to seek blessings at the Mahakali Temple. Panchmahal district administration said the passenger ropeway is functioning normally and completely safe. “The accident occurred on the cargo ropeway and no one was injured. The passenger ropeway is safe. Everyone can ride on the ropeway and reach the temple on Pavagadh,” said Jignesh Patel, sub-divisional magistrate, Halol.In Sep last year, the cable of a cargo ropeway had snapped near the temple on Pavagadh when the trolley was on its way down. Six persons aboard the trolley were killed. Usha Breco officials said a different company was handling the cargo ropeway during that accident. “After that accident, the administration handed over the ropeway management to the current company,” an official said.
