Tourists trapped in mid-air for an hour after cable car failure on China's Tianmen Mountain

The incident occurred at around 6:40 p.m. on Oct. 5 due to a sudden electrical and communication failure, Chinese news site Sohu reported.

Several videos recorded by tourists went viral on Douyin, showing two cabins shaking violently in mid-air.

Each car contained around 10 passengers, all of whom appeared to be panicked and frightened, The Paper reported.

One witness described the experience, saying the cable car kept starting and stopping, "like swinging on a swing high in the sky, which was extremely dangerous."

In another video, a woman tourist is seen screaming as the cabin shakes violently.

Some commented that their "hearts almost stopped" upon seeing the footage, while others pointed out that "it would have been truly terrifying if there had been a strong wind."

The management of the scenic area activated an emergency plan to ensure the safety of the tourists.

The system was repaired by 8 p.m. and the stranded passengers were brought to safety.

The scenic area issued a public apology and pledged to carry out a full review to prevent a recurrence of the incident.

Tianmen Mountain is situated in Tianmen Mountain National Park, and the cable car was installed in 2005 between its top and the nearby Zhangjiajie railroad station.

The 7,455-meter Tianmen Mountain telpher is often referred to in tourist publications as the "longest passenger cableway in the world over high mountains."