At least 30 people injured after ski lift collapses in Spain

At least 30 people have been reported injured, 17 of them seriously, after a ski lift collapsed in northern Spain.

The Estuén resort in the Spanish Pyrenees, where the incident occurred, has been closed and rescue services are at the scene.

Images and videos circulated on social media showed several people lying on the snow below a ski lift.

Spain’s Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez said he was “shocked” by news of the incident.

Ambulances and helicopters are taking the injured to nearby hospitals.

One of Spain’s public broadcasters reports that dozens of people are hanging from a 15-meter-high chairlift awaiting rescue.

An eyewitness told local media that it seemed as if a cable had broken, chairs had bounced and people had fallen from the lift.

The reason for the cable failure is not yet known.

Pictures available on social media show that one wheel of the chairlift has come out of the spoke.

Video posted by Spain’s Guardia Civil shows a helicopter hovering before landing to allow emergency workers to land.