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Danny Mok

Jiang Chuqin

Nearly 200 people were trapped on the Hong Kong Observation Wheel for about 45 minutes after a fire halted its operation on Thursday.
Rescue services were sent to the scene after receiving a call at 5.16pm, while the Ferris wheel at the Central harbourfront had stopped running, with 190 people on it.
An electrical device was said to have emitted smoke before the power supply to the attraction was suspended. Ten fire engines and two ambulances were sent to the scene.
At about 5.50pm, all 190 riders returned to the ground after the 60-metre-tall wheel resumed running on a backup power supply. The group comprised 76 men, 97 women and 17 children. No injuries were reported.

The Post learned that police were told a UPS, or uninterruptible power supply, device had caught fire. It was immediately put out.
The fire service inspected the wheel’s power room and confirmed there were no suspicious circumstances. An electrical malfunction was believed to have caused the fire.
The wheel’s operator, the Entertainment Corporation, said a secondary system had experienced a technical issue that triggered a temporary stop of operations, which was part of safety procedures, at 5.10pm.
The Observation Wheel was stationary for about 40 minutes, it added.
The operating system resumed at 5.30pm and all passengers were safely unloaded in 15 minutes, it said.
The operator said the wheel would remain closed for the rest of Thursday for safety checks, but did not confirm when service would resume.
Some residents and tourists who had been trapped recalled their experience.
“It was so scary because not only did the wheel stop, the ventilation system and air conditioning also ceased to function,” said Liao Zhongyang, a local university graduate.
“We were afraid there might not be enough air to breathe in the gondola, as the door seemed to be quite tightly closed.”
A tourist surnamed Zhu from mainland China’s Henan province said her hands were sweaty after being trapped for at least 30 minutes.
“At first, it was fine. But no one told us what was going on, and everyone in the gondola seemed so confused,” Zhu said, adding that her four-year-old son burst into tears after a while.
“We only planned one day for Hong Kong, and we happened to experience this incident. It has greatly affected our schedule and our mood.”
Wing Liu, who planned a ride on the wheel to celebrate her graduation from Hang Seng University of Hong Kong, was disappointed to find it had closed after the stoppage.
Dozens of people were queuing up around 7pm to ask if the wheel would start operating soon. It resumed rotating but no one was allowed in the area.
Power supplier HK Electric said its system had been running normally and that its personnel had visited the site for support.
A spokesman for the Electrical and Mechanical Services Department said its initial investigation revealed a malfunction in the wheel’s backup system, which triggered safety procedures, leading to the suspension.
It said it had asked the operator to conduct a thorough inspection and the ride would only resume operations once personnel had ensured it was safe.
The operator was required to submit a report on the incident, it added.
The wheel has 42 gondolas, each capable of holding up to eight passengers. Each ride involves two to three rotations and takes about 15 minutes, during which passengers can enjoy spectacular views of Hong Kong’s famed skyline and Victoria Harbour.


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Accidents and personal safety in Hong Kong

190 trapped after fire triggers halt of Hong Kong Observation Wheel

Nearly 200 people were trapped when the Ferris wheel stopped. Photo: Nora Tam

The Observation Wheel stopped operating around 5.15pm. Photo: Nora Tam

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Hong Kong

Society

Fire alarm triggered at Ferris wheel, leaving scores of people stuck in gondolas


Fire alarm triggered at Ferris wheel, leaving scores of people stuck in gondolas.
