California, Dec 25, (V7N) - Five people were injured and hospitalized after falling from a chairlift at Heavenly Mountain Resort in South Lake Tahoe, California, on Monday morning.

The Tahoe Douglas Fire Protection District responded to the incident and transported the injured individuals to Renown Regional Medical Center in Reno. Witnesses reported that two ski lift chairs collided, causing the accident.

Travis Faanes, who was in line for another lift when the incident occurred, described the scene to the Reno Gazette Journal. “I heard gasps around me, and when I turned, I saw the chairs swinging and people hitting the ground,” he said. Faanes also mentioned seeing one person pinned under a chair.

The resort is investigating the incident, which took place on the Comet Express chairlift. Resort spokesperson Cole Zimmerman emphasized that guest safety is a top priority and assured that an investigation is underway.

This incident at Heavenly Mountain Resort follows another notable event at the resort earlier this year. In January, a woman was trapped in freezing temperatures inside a gondola for 15 hours overnight due to a breakdown in ski lift protocols.

The ski lift accident at Heavenly comes on the heels of a similar incident at Winter Park Resort in Colorado. On December 21, over 100 people had to be evacuated from a malfunctioning gondola. Around 150 to 175 people were trapped in mid-air when the gondola stopped working. Ski patrollers climbed the lift towers, removed passengers' equipment, and used ropes to safely lower people one at a time. The rescue operation lasted several hours, but fortunately, no injuries were reported.

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