At Canada's Whistler resort - which is to host the alpine events of the 2010 winter Olympics - a tower supporting the cables partially collapsed on Tuesday, and more than 50 people were evacuated from 30 ski gondolas cars on the lift's wire cable.

While one of the gondola cars hit a bus shelter, two more were left dangling before the broken tower. It took more than three hours for fire crews and the mountain's ski patrol to evacuate the stranded people.

Royal Canadian Mounted Police Sgt. Steve Wright said the gondolas had been safely evacuated, and a crane was brought in to support the tower. Wright said: 'The first priority was the cars that were hanging precariously, one above a creek, and the one that was rescued above the bus shelter."

Though the Police said there were no serious injuries at the resort, health officials said five people had been taken to a hospital after the mid-afternoon accident.

In a news release, the resort said that 53 guests were evacuated and that the gondola section where the incident took place is about 30 feet above the ground. They resort officials said that the collapse occurred due to structural failure.

The resort had recently unveiled a new lift connecting the Whistler mountain peak to Blackcomb mountain peak - the highest in the world at 1,427 feet above the ground. However, it was not affected by the collapse, which was on another lift.

Amber Turnau, a resort spokeswoman said the Tower 4 that collapsed is on the lower half of the lift, close to the starting point.