Lyon, France: Around dozens of people were safely rescued on Friday morning after being trapped in cable cars dangling above the slopes of Mont Blanc in the Alps overnight. A series of cable cars got stuck after the cables tangled at 3,600 meters altitude, prompting a major rescue operation. Technicians repaired the ride's tangled cables, as they become entangled on Thursday.

La Compagnie du Mont Blanc, which runs the cable car, gave no reason for the accident but said that the cables could become tangled after an abrupt halt to the system or in strong winds.

According to the interior Ministry, “65 people were rescued Thursday night, but 45 had to be left there overnight after rescue operations were halted because of rough flight conditions for helicopters and darkness.”

Five rescuers stayed overnight in the cable cars and provided blankets, food and water to help. Italian rescuer Mario Mochet said, “When the fog moved in, the helicopter effort was called off, and rescuers concentrated on bringing down people whose cable cars were closest to the ground”.

The cable car connects Aiguille du Midi peak on the French side of the mountain and the Helbronner summit on the Italian border.

Usually, the panoramic ride over glaciers takes 30 minutes to complete.