The collapse of the ski lift injured at least 30 people

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

The resort of Astún in the Spanish Pyrenees, where the incident happened, has been closed and rescue services are on the scene.

Images and videos circulating on social media appear to show multiple people lying on the snow below the ski lift.

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said he was “shocked” by news of the incident.

Ambulances and helicopters transport the injured to nearby hospitals.

One of the Spanish public media reports that dozens of people remain hanging on the 15-meter chairlift awaiting rescue.

A witness told local media that it appeared a cable had snapped, chairs bounced and people were thrown from the lift.

The cause of the cable failure is not yet known.

Images on social media claim to show one of the chairlift’s flywheels off its spokes.

An eyewitness, Jamie Pellegri, said on social media that the Canal Roya chairlift was the one that collapsed.

“Luckily we’re fine, but there are injured people, we’ve seen a few stretchers come down,” Spotify’s chief commercial officer said.

Video released by Spain’s Guardia Civil showed a helicopter flying past the scene before landing to allow emergency workers to disembark.

Regional President Jorge Azcon and Spain’s Interior Minister Roberto Bermudez de Castro are on their way to the ski resort to understand the scale of the incident.

Azcón wrote to X: “All the necessary services of the (government) are working to help the affected and injured people.”

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said he had spoken to Ascon “to offer him the full support of the government”.