Twelve people rescued from rollercoaster at Hong Kong Disneyland

Rollercoaster malfunctions in Hong Kong’s Disneyland, trapping dozens of people

At least 12 people were rescued from Hong Kong’s Disneyland after a rollercoaster stopped working on Wednesday afternoon.

Local authorities said that all passengers were safely removed from the Disney ride Hyperspace Mountain by 4.16pm local time.

No one has been reported injured in the incident.

A police spokesperson said that they received a call at about 3.16pm when the rollercoaster malfunctioned, trapping dozens of people.

Over 40 firefighters were deployed to the site, which is located near Hong Kong international airport.

Disney stated that a hold-up in the loading area with passenger boarding prevented the train from leaving on schedule.

“As a safety measure, the ride control system was triggered to stop the attraction. One of the vehicles, carrying 12 passengers, was stopped in a position requiring fire department assistance,” a company spokesperson was quoted as saying by Reuters.

The ride was suspended immediately.

Disney assured that the ride would resume only after once checks were completed.

The ride, which offers a Star Wars-themed experience with big drops and darkness, is scheduled for routine maintenance from 26 February to 1 March, according to a notice on the website.

This is not the first time passengers have been trapped in Disneyland. On 27 November 2009, reports at the time say, Jose Martinez, a quadriplegic man, was trapped on “It’s a Small World” attraction in California’s Disneyland due to a computer malfunction for 40 minutes.

While Disney managed to quickly evacuate all other passengers, Martinez and his wife were left behind. Martinez filed a lawsuit against Disney, arguing that the company lacked adequate evacuation protocols for people with disabilities. He further alleged that the loud music during the incident aggravated his medical condition.

Additional reporting with agencies