Tourists were left stranded mid-air after a technical snag halted the Gulmarg Gondola service in north Kashmir on Monday, triggering a large-scale rescue operation.

Officials told that nearly 300 tourists were trapped inside the cable cars after the gondola came to a sudden stop due to a fault.

Rescue teams comprising personnel from the Army's 9 Raj Rif, Jammu and Kashmir Police, and civil administration rushed to the spot and launched evacuation efforts.

The Sub-Divisional Magistrate and Tehsildar of Tangmarg also reached the site to supervise the operation.

Eyewitnesses said several tourists, including women and children, panicked after the gondola stopped mid-air. Authorities, however, said the situation was under control and that evacuation was progressing smoothly.

Technical teams were also deployed to identify the fault and restore operations.