30 riders rescued after 40 minutes on stalled Ferris wheel in Taipei

Taipei, Oct. 19 (CNA) The Ferris wheel at Miramar Entertainment Park in Taipei came to a halt on Sunday afternoon with 30 people aboard, and they remained trapped for more than 40 minutes, rescue workers said.

The Taipei City Fire Department said it received a report at 2:31 p.m. about an apparent mechanical failure on the Ferris wheel in Zhongshan District.

When firefighters arrived on the scene at Miramar Entertainment Park, they saw 30 people trapped in 10 gondolas on the Ferris wheel, the department said.

The firefighters rescued all of the riders -- 11 men and 19 women -- who had been stuck for 40 minutes on the Ferris wheel, the department said, adding that there were no reported injuries or illnesses.

The cause of the malfunction is still under investigation, it said.