Twelve people rescues from Disneyland rollercoaster mid-ride

Around 40 firefighters were sent to Disneyland near Hong Kong’s international airport

Visitors watch the Halloween program featuring Disney character Mickey Mouse at a parade at Hong Kong Disneyland (REUTERS)

Twelve people have been rescued from a rollercoaster in Disneyland after it stopped working mid-ride.

Hong Kong police and fire services were called to the site on Wednesday just after 3pm after the Disney ride Hyperspace Mountain stopped working.

No injuries have been reported and there was no smoke or fire at the scene, a police spokeswoman said.

The passengers were removed from the ride within an hour, a fire services representative said.

Around 40 firefighters had been deployed to Disneyland, located by Hong Kong’s international airport, he said.

Disney said a delay in passenger boarding in the loading area of the ride had prevented the train from departing as scheduled.

“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 said.

The ride was suspended immediately and will resume operations once checks are complete, the company said.

The Hyperspace Mountain ride is described on Disney’s website as rocketing into a Star Wars battle. Key features include big drops and being plunged into darkness.

It was due to close for routine maintenance and inspection, from Feb. 26 to March 1, according to a notice on the website.