Cable-car cabin hits construction crane at Alpe d’Huez, injuring 23

Updated 27 August 2026 — A cable-car cabin carrying about 50 people struck the articulated arm of a construction crane at Alpe d’Huez in the French Alps at around 09:30 on Wednesday, 26 August, injuring 23 passengers, including three initially classified as critical emergencies, according to the Isère prefecture and Huez town hall.

The collision occurred as the cabin left an intermediate station on the Pic Blanc line at an altitude of about 2,700 metres. Le Dauphiné Libéré reported that the crane arm hit the cabin shortly after departure, throwing passengers off balance inside. The cabin remained attached to the cable.

Five people were flown to Grenoble University Hospital, including the three most seriously injured and a pregnant woman sent for checks, according to the updated official account carried by Agence France-Presse. Thirteen casualties were classified as relative emergencies, while other passengers received care locally. Huez mayor Jean-Yves Noyrey told AFP on Thursday that those taken to hospital appeared to have been discharged by Wednesday evening, although the authorities had not released individual medical details.

More than 30 firefighters and seven rescuers from the CRS Alpes mountain unit responded, according to the Isère prefecture. Authorities also opened a psychological-support centre at the town’s sports complex for passengers affected by the collision.

Gendarmes are investigating how a raised crane arm entered the operating space of the cable car. Noyrey told AFP that investigators were examining whether the crane operator had overlooked the line above the worksite. That remains a preliminary explanation rather than an established finding, and no responsibility has been formally assigned.

The incident concerns the high-altitude Pic Blanc installation, which also carries summer visitors outside the ski season. An inspection of the cabins and infrastructure was expected on Thursday, according to local broadcaster Radio ISA. Authorities had not announced when normal service would resume.

No Belgian casualties had been identified in the published official updates by Thursday morning. Belgians visiting the resort should follow instructions from the operator and local authorities before travelling to the Pic Blanc sector. The next confirmed developments should come from the technical inspection, the gendarmerie investigation and any revised medical assessment of the injured.