Rescue operation launched after 110 people are trapped in cable cars 3,000 metres above the French Alps

Swiss, Italian and French helicopters evacuate 50 of those who are stranded

A helicopter of the Italian Alpine Rescue deployed in an evacuation of people stuck in cable cars at Mont Blanc mountain (EPA)

A rescue operation is underway to save 110 people who are trapped in cable cars in the French Alps.

The group are stuck at over 3,000 metres near Mont Blanc, Europe’s highest mountain.

Swiss, Italian and French helicopters have evacuated 50 of those who were stranded, but with darkness falling, rescue operations have been halted.

Water, food and survival blankets have been distributed to those who remain in the cars, according to Le Dauphine.

The group got struck on Thursday afternoon in the Vallee Blanche Cable Car that rises to an altitude of almost 4,000 metres, a local police official said.

Initial reports suggest strong winds made the wires cross over, but there is yet to be any confirmation of this, the Daily Mail reported.

The cable car journey takes approximately 35 minutes and connects the Aiguille du Midi peak to the Pointe Helbronner. It attracts around half a million tourists each year.

Chamonix mayor, Eric Fournier, said "there's nothing fundamentally to fear".