What goes up, must come down. Or at least that’s how things are supposed to work. Last night, dozens of visitors riding the Hong Kong Observation Wheel found themselves suspended in the air for nearly an hour when the ride malfunctioned.
A spokesperson for the wheel’s operators said that a faulty hydraulic cylinder was responsible for the shutdown, which occurred just before 10:30pm. Passengers were finally allowed to disembark at about 11:20pm.
It’s unclear precisely how many people were left hanging, but local media have reported that about half the wheel’s 42 carriages were occupied, and each carriage can carry up to eight people.
The spokesperson also said that those stuck on the wheel last night would get a refund or a free ticket to ride another time, which seems like … not all that much for your trouble, to be honest. Can a rider get a Starbucks gift card up in here?
HK01 also reports that all carriages were equipped with heaters, so at least no one was left freezing last night.
According to Apple Daily, the ride’s faulty parts have been replaced, and the wheel was back running normally this morning.
The Hong Kong Observation Wheel opened in Central in 2014. It suspended operations for about four months near the end of 2017 when a contract with the former operator expired. It is currently being operated by AIA.
