A court in southern Turkey sentenced eight people on Monday to prison over a 2024 cable car accident in Antalya that killed one passenger and injured seven. Four defendants were convicted of causing death and injury through negligence and received 7½-year sentences; four others received between three years and four months and five years.
The sentencing concludes the legal proceedings for the April 2024 disaster, which left 174 cable car passengers stranded in gondolas for up to 23 hours before rescue. The convictions address accountability for negligence at a major tourist attraction.
Defendants Mostly Cable Car Operators
Most of the defendants were employees of ANET, the subsidiary of Antalya Metropolitan Municipality that operates the cable car system. The verdicts concluded a prosecution spanning nearly two years after the accident occurred during Eid al-Fitr, the Islamic holiday marking the end of Ramadan.
Gondola Strikes Pole, Sending Passengers Down
The accident happened on April 12, 2024, when a cable car gondola struck a pole and burst open. The impact sent passengers in that cabin plummeting to the rocks below, killing one person and injuring seven others.
Rescue of Hundreds Takes Nearly a Day
But the immediate casualties were only part of the disaster. When the gondola burst, the cable car system shut down entirely, leaving 174 people stranded in their suspended cabins high above the ground. Rescue efforts took up to 23 hours to bring all passengers to safety.
The cable car carries tourists between Konyaalti Beach and a restaurant and viewing platform at the summit of Tunektepe, a 618-meter peak that overlooks the Mediterranean. The accident exposed vulnerabilities in maintenance, operation, and emergency response at this popular tourist attraction.