Scared tourists (Instagram)
This is one cable ride experience that tourists won’t forget. A routine cable-car ride in western Colombia turned into a nightmare when a powerful earthquake struck on August 10. The terrified passengers were left suspended mid-air as their cabin rocked violently. Footage circulating on Instagram and other social-media platforms shows tourists inside a cable car shouting and screaming for their lives. The cabin can be seen swaying violently from side to side. All passengers inside the cabin appear visibly frightened.What happened on August 10The scary moment was part of a much larger emergency that unfolded across western Colombia. The South American country was hit by a devastating 7.4 magnitude earthquake on Monday morning. As per reports, the epicentre was near San José del Palmar in the Chocó department. The tremors were felt across a large part of the country, including major cities such as Pereira, Cali, Medellín and Manizales.What happened inside the cable car?
Video of scared tourists (Instagram)
The video shows the cabin repeatedly moving as the earthquake strikes. The passengers are shouting and screaming. There is a sense of helplessness in the whole footage which makes it all the more frightening. The thought of travellers being helpless and doing nothing but remaining inside the cabin is scary to another level.Reports from the earthquake’s aftermath indicate that people were also trapped in Pereira’s Megacable system, prompting emergency teams to respond to cable-car incidents as part of the wider rescue operation.Pereira’s MegacablePereira’s Megacable is a major part of the city’s transport network and has become a prominent attraction for visitors. The system has four stations, 21 towers and 50 gondolas, covering about 3.5 kilometres. City authorities have previously highlighted its growing popularity among tourists.A travel experience turned terrifyingThe country’s mountainous geography has encouraged cities to use aerial systems. In Pereira, the Megacable is a major mode of transportation, connecting parts of the city across steep terrain. Bogotá’s TransMiCable similarly carries passengers above the hills of Ciudad Bolívar and has been described as both a transport solution and an increasingly tourist-friendly experience.But the viral footage from August 10 offers a stark reminder that even a normal sightseeing or commuting experience can become frightening when nature intervenes.Why did the cable car swing so violently?The answer is seismic waves. These waves can cause structures and suspended systems to move violently in different directions. A cable-car cabin hanging mid-air can therefore swing when the supporting infrastructure is subjected to ground motion.Cable-car systems are engineered with movement, wind and emergency situations. Pereira’s authorities have previously described the Megacable as a modern aerial transport system and have conducted dedicated rescue exercises involving firefighters and staff.For travellers, however, the experience captured on camera shows why emergency procedures are important. When passengers are several metres above the ground, panic can make an already difficult situation much harder to manage.What should tourists do during such emergency situations
- If an earthquake begins while riding a cable car, passengers should remain inside the cabin
- They must avoid opening cabin doors or climb out
- They follow staff instructions
The terrifying Instagram footage may last only a few seconds, but it captures a bigger picture: watching the beauty of a place disappear behind a violently swinging cabin while the earth itself moves beneath you.Sources: Colombian geological authorities, Reuters, AP and current reports on the August 10 earthquake
