Alps cable car crash kills nine

The cable cars take visitors up to glaciers

At least nine people have been killed and several others injured in a cable car accident in the Austrian Alps.

A helicopter dropped a concrete block onto the cables, causing at least one car to fall and others to swing violently, local media said.

Some passengers were said to have been knocked out of their cabin when the cables were hit. Most of the victims were reported to be tourists.

The accident happened in Soelden, a ski resort in the western Tirol.

Seven people were injured five of whom were in critical condition, according to the Red Cross.

More than 35 rescuers and several helicopters were involved in the relief operation.

The cable car company said a 750kg (1,650lb) block fell from a height of 300m (1,000ft).

The block was being transported for use in the construction of a telecommunications line.

The cable cars take visitors up to the glaciers on the peaks above the village for excursions or summer skiing.

The cable car line is about 2km (1,5 miles) long, with a 650 metre vertical ascent, and each car holds up to eight people.

The stricken route climbs to the 3,309-metre (10,919ft) Schwarze Schneid peak in the Oetztal area.