Express. Six hurt as chairlift derails at ski resort

Emergency services were alerted to the incident at the Lecht Ski Centre, near Tomintoul, Banffshire, at about 3.25pm.

The slopes were busy with families taking advantage of the half term holiday to enjoy the snow.

Grampian Police said five children, thought to be aged between nine and 16, and one adult were airlifted and taken by ambulance to Aberdeen Royal Infirmary.

They were thought to have broken bones and to have hurt their backs after falling around 20ft. Officers described their injuries as “non life-threatening”.

Up to 30 people were left stranded on the lifts. They were later freed.

Calum Johnston, 15, from Fintry, Aberdeenshire, said: “I was on a tow lift parallel to the chairlift. My lift stopped for some reason and I looked over at the chairlift and saw one of the chairs caught in the pylon cable.

“Then another one came up behind it and also got caught, then there was a third chair. They were all bundled up together. “I heard a crunch and soon after the cable released.”

In 2000, a ski-lift operator suffered horrendous injuries when he was trapped in ski-tow machinery at Glenshee as he tried to clear a jammed tow line.

Steven Campbell, 32, from Glencoe, was trapped for four hours 3,600ft up the mountain, and lost part of his leg.

He later settled a £2million damages claim against Braemar-based Glenshee Chairlift Co.

In 2001, ski-tow engineer Malcolm Hunter severed his spinal cord when he fell from a ski tow at Aonach Mor.

Operating company Nevis Range Development was fined £5,000 at Fort William Sheriff Court in May 2003.