Skiers in French Alps lift ordeal at Chamrousse Published duration 24 December 2017

image copyright Reuters image caption The cause of the breakdown has not been established

At least 150 people have been rescued after being trapped for several hours in ski lift gondolas in the resort of Chamrousse in the French Alps.

A vast rescue operation was launched after the lift broke down at about 15:00 local time (14:00 GMT) and was completed by 17:30, AFP said.

No-one was injured during the incident.

Rescuers reached the top of each gondola and released the skiers through the roof hatch before lowering them to the ground.

The skiers had been suspended around 25m (82ft) above the snow before ropes were used to bring them down.

Each gondola has space for about 10 people.

The cause of the breakdown has not been established.

The ski lift - built in 2009 to replace a cable car and two chairlifts - connects the town of Chamrousse to the summit of the Croix de Chamrousse, 2,250m above sea level.