This is the terrifying moment skiers fell 50ft to the ground after a chairlift derailed at a Spanish mountain resort.
An 11-year-old girl was among 10 skiers injured in Saturday’s drama at the Astún ski resort in the heart of the Aragon Valley in northeastern Spain.
Two 18-year-old women were seriously injured and admitted to the hospital’s intensive care units following the shocking incident.
The first image showing the moment the near-tragedy unfolded appeared overnight.
The head of Emergencies of the Government of Aragon, Miguel Ángel Clavero, stated on Saturday, after initial information that about 30 people had been injured and about 80 skiers had been stranded, that the incident occurred due to a failure in the return of one of the chairlifts that “caused losses.” of tension and caused the chairlifts to fall.’
A skier filming the horror scenes said seconds before the skiers hit the ground: “The chairlift just stopped abruptly and it’s a miracle they didn’t kill us.”
“Many people have fallen out of their chairs.
‘The chairlift turned practically 180 degrees and there you can see people on the ground.
An 11-year-old girl is among the 10 skiers injured in Saturday’s drama at the Astún Ski Resort

Bodies are seen falling from the elevator to the slopes below.

The first footage showing the moment the near-tragedy unfolded emerged overnight.

Victims fell 50 feet to the ground when chairlift derailed at Spanish ski resort
‘There will be people injured because many have fallen and others who were scared have jumped.
“I assume the snowmobiles with medical rescuers on board are on their way, and we’ve been told over the loudspeakers to stay calm and that help is on the way.”
“The first helicopters are also on the way to evacuate the most seriously injured.”
Subsequent messages to skiers as the evacuation operation continued urged them to be patient while the injured were treated first.
Police continue to investigate Saturday’s chaos, although the regional government and the ski resort are conducting separate investigations.
The chairlift was opened in 1990 and passed all periodic inspections.
The last control was carried out in 2021 and the next one was planned for 2026.
Ski resort boss Andrés Pita said: “What happened should not have happened and we are working to try to discover the exact cause and minimize the risks, but zero risk does not exist.”

Tannoy’s messages to the skiers as the evacuation operation continued urged them to be patient while the injured were treated first.

The skiers fell to the ground after falling from the chairlift, while others jumped
The ski resort has now reopened, but the Canal Roya chairlift where the near-tragedy occurred will remain closed for the time being.
Among the injured skiers was, in addition to the 11-year-old schoolgirl, a 67-year-old woman.
The Government of Aragon initially said it was aware of “eight people seriously injured and nine very seriously injured” before it became clear that the number of victims was lower than initially thought.
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez said in a tweet on Saturday: “Shocked by the news of the accident at the Astún ski resort.
“I have spoken with the president of Aragón, Jorge Azcón, to offer him all the support of the Government.”
Miguel Ángel Clavero, head of emergencies for the Government of Aragon, stated shortly after 2:15 p.m. local time on the day of the drama: “There has been a return failure in one of the chairlifts and that has caused a loss of tension and the chairlifts falling. “. .’