1 Ocean Park cable car breaks down
Emily Wu, The Standard 29 August 2007

Nearly 300 people were stranded in midair yesterday when a cable car at Ocean Park broke down for about eight minutes due to a faulty belt.

No one was injured in the incident - the first since the theme park opened in 1977.

A frantic passenger in one of the cars called the police for help in a scene reminiscent of an incident at Ngong Ping 360 on Lantau Island in June last year, when about 500 people were trapped in gondolas for two hours due to a technical glitch.

According to an Ocean Park spokeswoman, a fractured belt at the southern peak of the park caused the breakdown at 1.43pm, and the safety mechanism system was automatically activated, halting 252 cable cars.

"Our mechanics immediately repaired the belt and tests were carried out to ensure the system remains safe before cable-car services resumed," she said.

She stressed checks on cable cars are conducted every morning.

During the breakdown, the park made announcements in seven languages to inform passengers of the situation.

Nursing staff and security guards stood by, but none of the passengers was injured or reported feeling unwell.

Some of the stranded mainland tourists called for more frequent inspections of cable cars to ensure safety, but said the incident had not dampened their confidence in the park's operations.

However, a housewife, who was trapped along with her children, said she might not ride on the cable cars again, saying it was "dangerous."

Lo Kok-keung, an engineer with Hong Kong Polytechnic University's mechanical engineering department, said the faulty belt was probably caused by displacement or aging of some components.

The Commerce and Economic Development Bureau said the park informed it of the breakdown immediately and officers were sent to the scene to carry out inspections.

An investigation will be launched with the assistance of the Electrical and Mechanical Services Department.

The department has asked the park to submit a report on the incident, and the park said it would be handed in today.

On June 11 this year, an empty cabin plunged 50 meters to the ground during a test run after operating hours at Ngong Ping 360 - supposedly Hong Kong's latest tourist attraction.

No one was injured in that incident.

Initial investigations found about 10 gear wheels had been seriously damaged on Tower 2B which had been replaced recently.

The incident led to an immediate shutdown of the cable-car system, with no reopening date set.