Kids rescued from broken cable car in Pakistan
Listen to the story (Australian accent)
Pakistani rescuers saved seven kids and a man who were trapped in a cable car over a deep valley on Tuesday.
The operation in the northern part of Pakistan took more than 15 hours. The cable car got stuck early in the morning, and the rescue was completed at night in the dark.
The military, which helped with the rescue, said it was a difficult job that needed lots of skill. The cable car was hanging at an angle which made the rescue tough.
After the rescue, the current Prime Minister of Pakistan, Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar, announced that the kids and the man were safe and sound.
At first, they tried rescuing the kids by helicopter. Despite strong winds, two kids were saved, but the helicopter had to stop when it got dark.
When it became dark, rescue teams on the ground started to work. They used floodlights to see and worked through the night to rescue the people.
The kids were saved by rescuers who tied themselves to the cable. The rescuers went to get the kids and brought them back to land one at a time.
People all over Pakistan watched this rescue on TV.
The cable car got stuck when one of the cables broke while the kids were going to school. It stopped over a valley, about 275 meters (900 ft) above the ground.
A person on the cable car talked to the news and said that one of the kids got scared and fainted because of the heat and fear.
Vocabulary20 words
- Pakistani
- A person from Pakistan
- Rescuer
- A person who helps and saves others in dangerous situations
- Trapped
- stuck; closed in; can’t escape; can’t go away
- Cable car
- A small car that moves on a cable above the ground
- Deep
- Very far down (the ocean is deep)
- Valley
- A low area of land between hills or mountains
- Operation
- A planned and organized project/mission, especially a military or medical one
- Get stuck
- Become unable to move or move freely
- Military
- armed forces; army; agency or department of a government for combat/war
- Angle
- The direction in which something is pointing or leaning; How something is tilted or slanted; not “straight”
- Tough
- Difficult to do or deal with; hard; not easy
- Current
- now; happening or being used or done now;
- Prime Minister
- the head or leader of an elected government of a country
- Announce
- share information openly; to tell the public; to make a statement; to report
- Safe and sound
- In good health and unharmed; Being completely okay and not hurt.
- Despite
- In spite of; or regardless of; even though; although
- Floodlight
- A very bright light that is used to light up a large area
- One at a time
- In a sequence, with each person or thing following the one before it; Doing things one after another, not all together
- Faint
- To suddenly pass out and become unconscious
- Fear
- Feeling scared or worried about something bad that might happen
Fill-in-the-blank listening
Play the audio again and fill in the missing words as you listen.
Pakistani rescuers _____ seven kids and a man who were trapped in a cable car over a deep _____ on Tuesday.
The operation in the _____ part of Pakistan took more than 15 hours. The cable car got stuck _____ in the morning, and the rescue was completed at night in the _____.
The military, which helped with the _____, said it was a difficult job that needed lots of skill. The cable car was hanging at an _____ which made the rescue tough.
After the rescue, the _____ Prime Minister of Pakistan, Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar, announced that the kids and the man were safe and _____.
At first, they tried rescuing the _____ by helicopter. Despite strong winds, two kids were saved, but the helicopter _____ to stop when it got dark.
When it became dark, rescue teams _____ the ground started to work. They used floodlights to see and worked _____ the night to rescue the people.
The kids were saved by rescuers who _____ themselves to the cable. The rescuers went to get the kids and _____ them back to land one at a time.
People _____ over Pakistan watched this rescue on TV.
The cable car got stuck when one of the cables _____ while the kids were going to school. It stopped _____ a valley, about 275 meters (900 ft) above the ground.
A person on the cable car talked to the _____ and said that one of the kids got scared and _____ because of the heat and fear.
Discussion questions
- What are the risks of riding a cable car? Do you think cable cars are dangerous?
- What do you think are some of the challenges that rescuers faced during this operation?
- What safety measures do you think could be taken to prevent cable cars from getting stuck in the future?
- Have you ever been stuck in a dangerous or uncomfortable situation? Please explain.
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