Five injured including one child as Nevis Range cable cars collide and one falls to floor

Five people have been injured including one child after a collision between two cable cars at the Nevis Range near Fort William in north west Scotland. The five injured have now been airlifted from the mountain Aonach Mor, Britain's eighth highest mountain, but 70 people remain on the mountain trapped in stationary gondolas as the system has been brough to a halt.

A reporter at the scene said one car near the top of the mountain had slid down a cable, hitting another. One of the cars fell to the ground. The system is at a standstill, trapping other people in stationary cars.

The Doppelmayr gondola system is made up of 80 six-seat closed cabins running on a continuous 4.6km steel cable. They carry mountain bikers, climbers, walkers, paraglider and hanglider enthusiasts from 300ft up to 2,150ft on the north face of Aonach Mor, Britain's eighth highest mountain. Two RAF helicopters, an air ambulance, four ambulance crews, police, fire brigade and a mountain rescue team were sent to the scene.

RAF spokesman Michael Mulford said between five and eight people were initially reported injured, some seriously. "First reports suggest several broken legs, head injuries, chest injuries," he said. "The real challenge is to get medical help up there as fast as possible. I think we're talking potentially up to something like 2,400 to 2,700 feet, something just under 3,000ft, which is fairly high up."

Reporter Ian Ferguson, talking to BBC Scotland from Aonach Mor, said the accident happened near the top of the gondola system and the fall to the ground was "not very great". One of the cars had slid back down the cable, colliding with the other at Tower 14.

Mr Ferguson continued: "The whole gondola line is now at a complete standstill. Anyone in the gondolas are trapped until it starts moving again. I've been to emergency excercises here before and people are told to stay in the gondolas and not to move. Staff will slide down the main cable, land on top of the gondolas, prise the door open and put in an emergency rope ladder to get people out. The mountain rescue team will also take part in that as well. But that process won't start until the casualties up the hill have been dealt with." The mountain did not appear particularly busy, he added.

The journey up and down the mountain takes between 12 and 15 minutes each way.

The system is the only one of its kind in Britain and was originally built to transport skiers up Aonach Mor.

Whatever the circumstances, practical accident support, compensation claim assistance and legal advice is available free of charge from our expert First Response team on freephone 0800 037 1066.

Free legal advice direct to your inbox: Ask Law Answers your compensation claim legal question.