Around a dozen passengers were trapped on a roller-coaster on Wednesday at Hong Kong Disneyland. They were rescued, unharmed, after 45 minutes.
The incident happened mid-afternoon at Space Mountain, a dark ride within the park, the Hong Kong Government’s Electrical and Mechanical Services Department, said.
“Upon notification of [a] passenger entrapment incident involving the Space Mountain roller coaster by the Disneyland at 3.30pm today, EMSD officers immediately conducted an on-site investigation. The preliminary finding revealed that nine trains of roller coasters were in service at the material time. Due to delays in the loading and unloading area, the safety system activated and stopped all trains on the track to prevent other trains from entering the loading and unloading area. Since a train was stopped in an area that was difficult to access, the Disneyland followed the operational procedures to firstly notify the Fire Services Department to seek assistance before arranging the passengers to leave the roller coaster,” the department said. “All passengers were safely evacuated at 4.15pm, and no passengers were injured or mechanical failures occurred.”
Park operators are ordered to conduct a comprehensive inspection and reopen the ride only after confirming safety. They will also have to submit a report to the department about the incident.
Hong Kong Disneyland has not yet replied to PvNew’s enquiries.
The park, which opened in 2005, is jointly owned and operated by the Walt Disney Co. and the Hong Kong Government, with the government holding a small majority. In December last year, management announced that the park had welcomed its 100 millionth visitor.
The incident happened only days before one of the park’s anticipated peak seasons. Over a million visitors from mainland China are expected to visit Hong Kong, a Special Administrative Area of China, over the Lunar New Year holidays, which begin on Saturday.
