The ski lift ropeway, which transports skiers in Georgia’s Gudauri resort, has been damaged.

According to local media, the defect to the lifts meant that it sped up to double the normal speed and threw people off of their chairs as it tried to ascend.

Whilst no serious injuries have been reported as of yet, people were left “shaken and shocked”, as the ski lift threw people off of their seats and into the snow.

Georgian TV company Rustavi 2 has released a video showing people panicking and being thrown from their chairs.

The Ministry of Internal Affairs is yet to comment on the incident. Georgia Today will add updates on the situation in real-time.

Update 1438: A video has been released showing the incident. Still no statement from the Ministry of Internal Affairs.

Video here

Update 1456: Further information has been released regarding the ski-lift incident in Gudauri.

It has been reported that 8 people were injuried because of the malfunction, however, the injuries sustained are not deemed to be serious.

The information comes from Mountain Resorts Development Company of the Ministry of Economy of Georgia, who released a statement on the situation.

It is alleged that they have also contacted the company who made the lifts, in order for them to investigate what exactly went wrong.

By Tamzin Whitewood

16 March 2018 14:11