Power outage on Hong Kong’s MTR after Mid-Autumn Festival lantern lands on train
Power was cut to two Hung Hom-bound and two Tuen Mun-bound trains on Monday night
A Mid-Autumn Festival sky lantern that landed on an MTR train may have caused power disruption on the West Rail Line on Monday night, temporarily halting four trains and slowing down services.
The disruption hit the line from Tuen Mun to Tin Shui Wai at about 10.20pm on Monday, when the system was packed with festive revellers.
Two Hung Hom-bound and two Tuen Mun-bound trains, which were hit by power cuts, were stranded on the tracks.
Pictures circulated online showed passengers stranded on halted trains that only had emergency lights on. Some passengers said that the air grew stuffy as the air conditioning stopped.
Announcements were issued in stations and trains about the power glitch. Passengers were told train rides would take an additional five to 10 minutes in both directions.
An MTR spokeswoman said that services gradually resumed from 10.45pm that night after repairs were carried out. Emergency lights and ventilation systems set up to provide fresh air inside trains operated normally, she said.