Shocking footage has shown the moment strong winds sent a series of ski lifts swinging violently in the air.
Passengers were in at least some of the lifts at the Breuil-Cervinia Ski Resort in northern Italy which saw 62mph winds today.
The resort had already been closed to the public due to the high winds with those on the cars being the last skiers making their way down.
At least 12 lifts were caught by the wind and it is not known if anyone was coming up on the other side.
One eyewitness took to X, formerly Twitter, saying: “Ten chairs damaged and removed from the lift.
“The person filmed from the chair has been airlifted to hospital but was seen walking with ski patrol.”
Resort operator Cervino Spa confirmed that no one sustained any major injuries.
Federico Maquignaz, president of Cervino spa, told The Sun: “Violent, unpredictable gusts of wind hit the town, a real storm and access to the lift was immediately closed, while the chairlift continued to move to allow passengers still in line to disembark.
“Due to the wind there was a fault in the line, the technicians climbed onto the pylons to check the situation and put the chairlift back into operation.
“At extremely low speed and with the utmost caution, necessary for these operations, they were all taken to the top without any consequences, neither for the skiers who remained stranded nor for the technicians who intervened.
“Unfortunately, these are extreme situations that cannot be predicted and which remind us once again of the unpredictability of the mountains.”
The Alpine resort sits at an altitude of 6,600ft and the huge complex crosses the border between Italy and Switzerland.
