Dozens trapped in cable cars stuck above the French Alps

It's going to be a long night for the 45 people stuck in cable cars over the French Alps.

Officials say the cars became stuck Thursday when cables crossed for "unknown reasons," leaving more than 100 people trapped in cable cars 12,468 feet above the glaciers of Mont Blanc. Italian, Swiss, and French rescuers were able to rescue 60 people by air before nightfall, Georges-Francois Leclerc, the prefect of the Haute-Savoie region, told the BBC. The operation had to stop once it became dark, and it will resume in the morning.

The head of the cable company, Mathieu Dechavanne, said authorities were "in contact with the clients" in the cars, and they "have water and some means of communication but are beginning to find it's taking a long time." Mont Blanc is the highest mountain in the Alps, and the cable cars are a popular attraction because of the panoramic views they provide of the area.

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