Chairlift accident leaves dozens injured at Spanish ski resort in the Pyrenees

Chairlifts of a ski lift are photographed at the Astum ski resort in Huesca, northern Spain, on November 5, 2023. (Verónica Lacasa/Europa Press via AP)

LISBON, Portugal — At least 30 people have been injured, some seriously, in a chairlift accident at the Spanish Astún ski resort, in the Pyrenees mountain range, emergency services and local media reported Saturday.

Nine of the injured are in very serious condition, while another eight are moderately injured, they said.

State TV channel TVE reported that around 80 people remained trapped on the chairlift. The cause of the incident is still unknown.

Several helicopters are working in the area to rescue the skiers who are still trapped and transfer the injured to nearby hospitals.

Social media images and video appeared to show a number of people lying on the snow beneath the ski lift.

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez said he was “shocked” by the news of the accident, expressing his closeness to the injured and their families.

The Associated Press