Table Mountain cableway blaze sparks probe amid largest coordinated emergency rescue in decades

25 Oct 2024

Cable car operations have been halted at Table Mountain after a blaze engulfed the lower cableway station, stranding 400 people and injuring one.

An investigation is under way into the devastating fire that occurred at Table Mountain’s lower cableway station on Thursday, 24 October 2024, injuring one person, leaving 400 stranded, and prompting the temporary closure of the iconic tourist attraction.

In what the Wilderness Search And Rescue said was the largest rescue operation on Table Mountain in 64 years, 75 tourists were evacuated after the devastating fire broke out.

Operations at the Table Mountain lower cableway station were closed to tourists the following day. The cause is not yet known, but Table Mountain Aerial Cableway Company spokesperson Martin Slabbert said lithium batteries used as backup energy sources for operating the cable cars had “caught fire”.

Read more: About 400 people evacuated from Table Mountain after cable station blaze contained

As recovery efforts continue, structural engineers are set to arrive at the site on Friday to assess the damage caused to the parking garage and administration building at the lower station.

Fire and Evacuation

Thursday’s blaze, which started in the parking garage, left about 400 people stranded atop the mountain for several hours, while 75 visitors were safely escorted down after the cable car halted operations.

The fire began at about 1pm, and was contained by approximately 4.45pm. The incident was officially concluded at 7.30pm, following a thorough search down the trail to confirm everyone’s safe descent.

According to the Wilderness Search And Rescue report, one person, a 45-year-old Dutch visitor, was injured while descending the mountain via Platteklip Gorge.

The Dutch visitor suffered a lower leg injury and was airlifted to safety by the Western Cape Government Health and Wellness EMS/Air Mercy Service rescue helicopter. Additionally, rescuers provided assistance to two “struggling visitors”, slowly guiding them down the mountain.

To ensure a safe evacuation, a high-tech drone from the Western Cape Government Health and Wellness EMS Drone Unit was deployed to remotely monitor pedestrian traffic on the route.

The complex rescue operation showcased the coordinated efforts in emergency response. According to David Nel, a spokesperson for Wilderness Search And Rescue: “Incidents like these require large multidisciplinary teams and careful coordination, demonstrating the depth within Wilderness Search and Rescue and our ability to respond to wilderness emergencies.

“Numerous rescuers from all of our teams were either involved or on standby, ready to respond to the incident yesterday.”

Nel expressed gratitude to the 16 rescue services from various emergency services who contributed to the successful operation.

Response and Investigation

Wahida Parker, the Managing Director of the Table Mountain Aerial Cableway Company, confirmed the safe evacuation and expressed gratitude to emergency responders.

“The fire did not reach the machinery that operates the movement of the cable cars. We were able to safely bring people down from the top of the mountain on Thursday. We hope to have an indication by late on Friday on when we will resume our operations. Until such time, we will halt all operations of the cable cars,” said Parker.

He said operational updates would be posted on the Table Mountain Aerial Cableway Company’s website and social media channels. DM

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Fire and Evacuation

Response and Investigation