Sofia - Bulgarian Prime Minister Sergey Stanishev was stuck for 40 minutes in a controversial new cable car system Wednesday, Bulgarian media reported.

A power cut left the car he was travelling in stranded 30 metres above the ground before eventually being lowered to safety at the Bodrost-Kartala resort in the Rila Mountains.

The resort has been modernized with state aid - but to the objections of ecologists claiming construction of the cable car system violated environment-protection regulations. (dpa)