Rollercoaster malfunction leaves 25 hanging midair
January 25th, 2011 - 5:22 pm ICT by IANSShanghai, Jan 25 (IANS) Thrill seekers at an amusement park in China’s commercial capital spent a horrifying half hour suspended in mid-air after their roller-coaster malfunctioned.Twentyfive people on the Diving Coaster at the Happy Valley park were terrified when the ride stopped suddenly and they were left dangling over 60 meters above the ground, the Shanghai Daily reported.
The amusement park said the cold weather may have caused a sensor to shut off the power as a safety measure.
The thrill seekers were stranded in the air for about half an hour and they were rescued by using an emergency stairway, said Xiao Dezhong, deputy director of Shenzhen-based OCT Group, Happy Valley’s operator.
The roller-coaster has several circular and semi-circular loops and features a steep plunge from 65 meters at the end of the ride.
“It took 30 minutes for us to escape and there were a lot people on board. It’s hard to imagine that we had even intended to grab a front-row seat,” a panic-stricken passenger was quoted as saying.
Xiao said: “The carriage had just climbed over its highest point and was readying for a plunge down to the ground when the roller-coaster suddenly stopped.”
“The investigation showed a sensor device on the coaster broke off by itself, generating a safety alert to suspend the machine from operating automatically.”
The Diving Coaster, one of the highest in the world, suffered a similar breakdown March 21 last year when over 30 people were stranded after someone dropped a cell phone, the media report said.
- World's Faster Rollercoaster 149mph At Abu Dhabi's Ferrari World - Oct 28, 2010
- Ultimo's ultimate bra test checks endurance on a roller coaster - Sep 03, 2010
- Rollercoaster rides can cause ear injury - May 01, 2010
- Experience virtual roller coaster in Delhi - Jul 29, 2010
- Riders Stuck In The Great American Roller Coaster Ride Rescued - Aug 11, 2009
- Big B loves Delhi winter (Movie Snippets) - Dec 16, 2011
- World's fastest roller coaster flies away at 149 mph at Ferrari World - Oct 27, 2010
- World's steepest roller coaster opens in UK - Jul 06, 2009
- Harry Potter park opens in US for wizard fans - Jun 19, 2010
- 78-year-old Pennsylvanian Male, Laden With Bounciness, Rides A Roller Coaster 90 Times In A Day - Aug 17, 2010
- Startled to see Sky projected so villainously: Pooja Bedi - Nov 27, 2011
- Nicole Kidman 'feels love' for woman who carried her second child - Feb 21, 2011
- No lavish house for Lady Gaga - Apr 28, 2011
- Squirrel banned from rollercoaster ride! - Feb 15, 2010
- Knotts Berry Farm Accident: Roller Coaster Turns Wild - Sep 19, 2009
Tags: 30 minutes, amusement park, cell phone, cold weather, deputy director, front row, half an hour, half hour, happy valley, march 21, mid air, midair, plunge, roller coaster, row seat, safety measure, sensor device, shanghai, shenzhen, thrill seekers