Seven people were injured, one critically, when a train driver triggered the emergency braking system by mistake on the Ocean Express tunnel railway at Ocean Park yesterday, bringing two trains to a sudden halt.
A 70-year-old man was admitted to Queen Mary Hospital in Pok Fu Lam with facial injuries and was in critical condition. His wife was also admitted suffering from injuries to her face and knees. The other five people were admitted to Ruttonjee Hospital in Wan Chai with injuries to their faces and limbs.
The incident happened at 12.15pm, with 107 passengers on the two trains - 63 heading uphill and 44 heading down. All the injured were from the train going towards the summit.
Ocean Park said the 'cause of the abrupt stop ... was accidental and as a result of the operator on the attraction accidentally activating the track brake system'.
It added: 'Ocean Park extends its apology to the injured guests and guests inconvenienced by this incident. Guest safety is always the park's greatest priority. Since opening in September last year the Ocean Express has carried approximately 5.3 million guests and there have been no incidents such as this previously.'
The incident left the trains stalled about 100 metres from Ocean Park's Waterfront and Summit stations. The service was suspended for the rest of the day and will be reopened after a switch protector is installed.
One of the passengers, Louis Charm Man-yung, 40, said workers arrived to help and to open the train doors three to five minutes after the brake was applied.