Television visuals depicted rescuers climbing ropes to access the restaurant.
The two children and their mother were brought down first, followed by the father and a female staff member from the restaurant. By the time all four tourists and the staff member were evacuated, it was already late afternoon.
#WATCH | Munnar, Kerala | Tourists were trapped at a private sky dining venue in Anachal, Idukki, today due to a technical failure of the crane; Rescue operation is in progress.
The incident took place near Munnar, leaving both tourists and staff stranded for over 1.5 hours. Rescue efforts… pic.twitter.com/Pciz0CoLxB
— ANI (@ANI) November 28, 2025
A member of the restaurant staff shared with TV channels that there was no panic, as they had been trained to handle such emergencies. She mentioned that the family was from Kozhikode.
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A fire official indicated that the restaurant management did not request help from the fire department, though units from Munnar and Adimali were dispatched after reports surfaced.
An officer at the Adimali police station noted that the management also did not notify the police; it was local residents who alerted the authorities.
Locals reported that the tourists had been stranded since around 1:30 pm.
The official explained that the crane’s hydraulics seemed to have failed, leaving the restaurant suspended over a hundred feet above the ground.
The ‘sky-dining’ experience is part of the adventure tourism initiative in the hill district, according to the official.
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(Edited by : Jerome Anthony)
