Cable car issue at Hong Kong’s Ocean Park traps 210 riders mid-air in winter cold
Spokeswoman says railing on platform hit cabin due to strong wind, leading to misalignment
Some 210 cable car riders at Hong Kong’s Ocean Park were left hanging in mid-air for half an hour in the winter cold on Saturday night due to a mechanical issue.
A spokeswoman for the Southern District amusement park said shortly before midnight that one of the two ropeways for the cable car system was suspended temporarily at 7.43pm, and that park staff had immediately performed an inspection.
“[The staff] found that the station railing on the platform had hit a cabin due to strong wind, resulting in its misalignment, which interfered with the movement of the rest of the cable car cabins,” she said.
The Hong Kong Observatory issued the first cold weather warning of the winter on Saturday afternoon, as the temperature dropped to as low as 10 degrees Celsius in some areas. The weather forecaster recorded 13 degrees in Wong Chuk Hang, where the park is located, at the time of the incident.
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The spokeswoman said that no passengers were injured in the incident. Ropeway operation resumed at 8.16pm, after an urgent adjustment. Guests on that ropeway were able to start leaving the cabins.