Sixteen passengers were yesterday trapped in ferris wheel carriages at the Miramar Entertainment Park in Taipei’s Dazhi area (大直) for about 30 minutes due to the system detecting high wind speeds, the Miramar complex said.
Park general manager Hsieh Chia-han (謝佳翰) said the system automatically shut off the supply of electricity to the attraction, as gusts of wind reaching 15 on the Beaufort wind force scale were detected.
The ride’s eight security systems had to be restarted manually, Hsieh said.
Photo: CNA
The ferris wheel has 48 carriages, which have a maximum capacity of six people each, Hsieh said.
Each carriage has four sets of double security locks that connect to the main structure, Hsieh said.
The carriages lock to the main structure if wind speeds reach 15 on the Beaufort scale, Hsieh added.
Photo: CNA
Taiwan uses an extended Beaufort scale that has a maximum reading of 17.
A reading of 15 indicates wind speeds of 167kph to 183kph.
The complex said that while separate equipment recorded gusts reaching only 10 on the scale, there must have been wind shear that reached 15.
“We contacted our engineers and safely brought down all of the passengers within an hour,” Hsieh said.
The Taipei City Fire Department said that it had been called to the scene, but the park’s management had things under control, adding that it stood by to offer support.
The department said that the sudden halt on the ferris wheel was due to the safety measures kicking in and was not due to a malfunction.
Taiwan Power Co (台電) said that circuits and electricity supply in the area showed no abnormalities.
Miramar said that it had returned all the fares paid by people caught up in the incident and collected the names of those who were trapped to give them free tickets.
Operations resumed after management inspected the ferris wheel and were certain of no further safety concerns.
Additional reporting by CNA
SECURITY: As China is ‘reshaping’ Hong Kong’s population, Taiwan must raise the eligibility threshold for applications from Hong Kongers, Chiu Chui-cheng said When Hong Kong and Macau citizens apply for residency in Taiwan, it would be under a new category that includes a “national security observation period,” Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) Minister Chiu Chui-cheng (邱垂正) said yesterday. President William Lai (賴清德) on March 13 announced 17 strategies to counter China’s aggression toward Taiwan, including incorporating national security considerations into the review process for residency applications from Hong Kong and Macau citizens. The situation in Hong Kong is constantly changing, Chiu said to media yesterday on the sidelines of the Taipei Technology Run hosted by the Taipei Neihu Technology Park Development Association. With
CARROT AND STICK: While unrelenting in its military threats, China attracted nearly 40,000 Taiwanese to over 400 business events last year Nearly 40,000 Taiwanese last year joined industry events in China, such as conferences and trade fairs, supported by the Chinese government, a study showed yesterday, as Beijing ramps up a charm offensive toward Taipei alongside military pressure. China has long taken a carrot-and-stick approach to Taiwan, threatening it with the prospect of military action while reaching out to those it believes are amenable to Beijing’s point of view. Taiwanese security officials are wary of what they see as Beijing’s influence campaigns to sway public opinion after Taipei and Beijing gradually resumed travel links halted by the COVID-19 pandemic, but the scale of
A US Marine Corps regiment equipped with Naval Strike Missiles (NSM) is set to participate in the upcoming Balikatan 25 exercise in the Luzon Strait, marking the system’s first-ever deployment in the Philippines. US and Philippine officials have separately confirmed that the Navy Marine Expeditionary Ship Interdiction System (NMESIS) — the mobile launch platform for the Naval Strike Missile — would take part in the joint exercise. The missiles are being deployed to “a strategic first island chain chokepoint” in the waters between Taiwan proper and the Philippines, US-based Naval News reported. “The Luzon Strait and Bashi Channel represent a critical access
Pope Francis is be laid to rest on Saturday after lying in state for three days in St Peter’s Basilica, where the faithful are expected to flock to pay their respects to history’s first Latin American pontiff. The cardinals met yesterday in the Vatican’s synod hall to chart the next steps before a conclave begins to choose Francis’ successor, as condolences poured in from around the world. According to current norms, the conclave must begin between May 5 and 10. The cardinals set the funeral for Saturday at 10am in St Peter’s Square, to be celebrated by the dean of the College
RSS