About 40 stranded after Ocean Park Tower malfunctions in Hong Kong
About 40 visitors were stranded near the top of Ocean Park Tower after the ride malfunctioned on Monday afternoon. One person felt unwell. Firefighters helped bring down one visitor. The same ride failed in May last year, stranding passengers for nearly two hours.
About 40 people were stranded near the top of Ocean Park Tower after the ride malfunctioned on Monday afternoon, with one visitor reported to have felt unwell, according to local media.
Police received a report at around 3.30pm that passengers were trapped on the observation tower after it stopped operating. Footage circulating online showed the rotating observation cabin stalled near the top of the tower. The person who posted the video said the ride had been stationary since 3.11pm and had still not moved about 50 minutes later.
Most passengers were reportedly escorted from the ride with the assistance of Ocean Park staff, while one visitor was brought down from the tower by a firefighter using a rope at around 4pm.
Director of Electrical and Mechanical Services Poon Kwok-ying said Ocean Park was required to submit an incident report to the department. He added that officers would investigate the cause of the malfunction, while the park would be required to draw up measures to prevent a recurrence.
The same ride also malfunctioned in May last year, leaving passengers stranded for nearly two hours. Ocean Park said at the time that the incident was caused by the activation of the ride’s safety system.
According to the park, Ocean Park Tower stands about 200 metres above sea level and is one of the tallest observation towers in Southeast Asia. Its rotating cabin rises 72 metres and offers 360-degree views of Aberdeen and the outlying islands.