About 500 people were trapped at the top of Table Mountain on Monday night for three-and-a-half hours after an Eskom power cut, the Times reported on Tuesday.
Some of those stranded were in two cable cars suspended in mid-air.
Collette van Aswegen, spokesperson for the cableway, told the newspaper that the power cut at 8pm jerked key equipment on the two cars out of alignment, stranding the passengers in mid-air.
One car, carrying 37 people, was stuck near the top of the mountain and the other was trapped at the entrance to the lower cable car station, the newspaper said.
”Emergency services officials sprang into action and rescued people in the lower car. Those passengers were strapped into emergency harnesses and lowered to safety,” the Times said.
But this was not possible for the passengers stuck in the cable car near the top of the mountain.
A tourist from Spain, who gave her name as Sonia, said her husband was stuck in the car near the top of the mountain.
”The rescue is very slow; I have not been able to speak to my husband because there is no cellphone reception,” she was quoted as saying. The tourists had been on a ”sunset special”.
At about 11.20pm, the problem with the cable cars was fixed and the cars started bringing tourists back down.
Van Aswegen said it was the first time in 78 years of operation that an emergency evacuation had been necessary.
There had been three or four doctors among the tourists stuck at the top of the mountain who had helped to reassure worried tourists.
”We just had to calm people down — no one was injured,” Van Aswegen told the newspaper.
The restaurant at the top of the mountain was open during the crisis and stranded tourists were able to get refreshments. — Sapa