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Services on the wheel reopened at 11am on Monday. Photo: SCMP Pictures

Fault hits Hong Kong Observation Wheel, trapping dozens of passengers in cars

  • After up to an hour, customers were able to disembark
  • Services resumed as normal on Monday morning
Tourism
Karen Zhang

The Ferris wheel on Hong Kong’s harbourfront broke down on Sunday night, trapping dozens of passengers in cabins for up to an hour.

Services on the Hong Kong Observation Wheel reopened at 11am on Monday, Christmas Eve.

A statement from the operator read: “The mechanical component at fault has been replaced. Standard operating and safety checks have now been completed.”

At about 10.30pm on Sunday, the time of the attraction’s final 15-minute ride, a hydraulic cylinder failed, causing a short delay. Half of the wheel’s 42 gondolas, which can seat eight people each, were carrying passengers at the time. By 11.18pm, all passengers had disembarked the 60-metre wheel safely, with the help of staff.

Half of the wheel’s 42 gondolas were carrying passengers when the malfunction happened. Photo: Nora Tam
The wheel started operating in 2014. It was suspended for about four months in 2017 because of negotiations over the lease, when the contract with a former operator expired.
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