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Tourists injured after being hurled into the air from malfunctioning ski lift at Georgia resort

Skiers flung to the ground at the Gudauri resort in Georgia

Friday 16 March 2018 19:31 GMT
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At least 10 people have been injured after a ski lift at a resort in Georgia malfunctioned.

A number of skiers were violently thrown off at high speeds at the Gudauri resort, located on the plateau of The Greater Caucasus Mountain Range.

Some jumped off onto the mountain while others held on until they were at the bottom only to be hurled into the air as the chair moved around the line.

The incident was caught on camera.

The chairlift had been put into reverse which caused it to malfunction, Russian newspaper Pravda reported.

Yuri Leontyev, from Belarus, was on the ski lift with two friends.

"The ski lift stopped and started going in reverse," he told CNN. "We had to jump from it, because at the bottom (of the hill) it was total trash and no chance to stay safe. We jumped, moved to a safe area, and made a short video."

Ambulances were deployed to the area and the injured were taken to the resort’s clinic.

The manufacturer of the ski lift has been asked to investigate what caused the incident.

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