Although the promoters of the K K Trams project that links Jabli and Kasauli had claimed that ropeway was safe, the incident has raised doubts.

Ropeway promoter K K Kashyap told The Indian Express that the ropeway was "fully safe". Project implementer F Kropiunik, director of Kropiunik Cable Ways (P) Limited, the company installing and maintaining the ropeway project explained how the trolleys got stuck: "When an electric panel developed a snag due to voltage fluctuations, the motor running the cable could not restart, thus stalling the system."

He added that "As soon as the cable stops, itsbrakes are clamp automatically, which ensures complete safety. It is then that the rescue operations have to be started. On Monday, we moved the cable cars with the help of a rescue winch which pulled the cable to bring the trolleys nearer to the ground. Thereafter, the passengers were taken down on ladders."

Admitting that Monday's rescue operations were delayed by attempts to repair the fault in the panel, Kropiunik said the ropeway moved at a normal speed of 2 to 3 metres per second and panels have in-built arrangements for maintaining a constant speed. "If electricity goes off while the cable is in motion, brakes clamp automatically. In addition to the service brake, there is also an emergency brake. To check derailment of the cable rope, there are clips/holders at the towers to keep the cable intact. Besides, we also have a rescue carriage, which is used in extreme circumstances."

The cars are fixed to the cable; if the clamp holding the car to the cable breaks or opens, there is nothing to preventthe car from falling. Meanwhile, despite loud claims by the promoters of various ropeways in the state about the security aspect, two of the three ropeways in Himachal -- K K Trams, Jabli and Timber Trail, Parwanoo, have developed technical snags which put tourists through nightmarish experiences. Such repeated incidents have raised many eyebrows over the very functioning of ropeways in the state.

In the 1992 Timber Trail incident, two people lost their lives and other passengers in the ill-fated car endured more than 48 hours of cold, hunger and of course terrifying uncertainty. In November last year the cable car on the Timber Trail ropeway "slipped back" when brakes "failed" but the passengers miraculously escaped.

Meanwhile, State Ropeways Inspector A K Pandey on Tuesday inspected the site and assessed the ropeway equipment both at the Jabli and Kasauli (Nandoh) ends. The Solan Police has also registered an FIR about Monday's incident. The Ropeway Inspector is likely to submit his report to theGovernment soon, following which an expert committee of the Government, which had earlier passed the ropeway, is likely to visit the site and give further directions on the running of the ropeway. Although the management claims that they can restore the ropeway to working condition within a day, they have been directed neither to run the ropeway nor tamper with any of its equipment.