Imagine being stranded in mid-air on a roller coaster for 20 minutes after it came to an abrupt halt.
Holiday fun was turned into a nightmare for 16 tourists when they were trapped in their seats 70 metres above ground when the ride came to a rude stop on Monday (May 2).
They had to endure 20 minutes of suspense before park workers came to the rescue.
The incident at Wanda theme park in Nanchang city in China’s Jiangxi province saw workers unbuckling the harnesses of the passengers before they clambered down a narrow staircase leading to the ground.
China’s CCTV station reported that the brake system was triggered after a signal was detected.
Some thought it could be the work of a bird – which was the cause of another roller coaster ride which stopped suddenly. It happened at Beijing’s Happy Valley Amusement Park in March.
But the incident was far more nightmarish for the riders as they were left hanging upside down for 20 minutes.
In 2013, firemen rescued 11 fun-seekers, who were stranded for two hours, after their ‘SkyLoop” express broke down.
On Tuesday evening (May 3), Disneyland Resort in Anaheim had to evacuate riders and shut down its California Screamin’ roller coaster for an hour after a passenger was caught using a selfie stick during the ride.
Disneyland and Disney World resorts introduced the ban on the sticks last June because they had posed risks to passengers and its performing cast.
chenj@sph.com.sg
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