Singapore Flyer to remain closed pending
investigations
SINGAPORE: The world's largest observation wheel, the
Singapore Flyer, will be closed until investigations into Tuesday's
incident are complete.
A major power disruption left 173 passengers stranded for about six
hours.
Police say operations will be allowed to resume once the ride is
certified safe.
All trapped passengers were able to leave their capsules after the
Singapore Flyer resumed rotating at about 11:11pm (1511 GMT) on
Tuesday.
Earlier, a few passengers were lowered down to safety in a
sling-like device from one of the observation capsules.
A 59-year-old woman complaining of dizziness, and a boy who vomited
were taken to hospital, said Lieutenant Colonel N. Subhas, of the
Singapore Civil Defence Force.
A spokeswoman for the attraction said about 173 people
were onboard the wheel when a short circuit in one of the drive
motors occurred at around 5:00pm.
At least five passengers were lifted through the hatch on top of
each capsule and winched to the ground by a private rescue firm
engaged by Singapore Flyer.
The Flyer's technical team managed to isolate the problem and
restored electricity, including the air-conditioning, to the
capsules. The team also worked with the Singapore Civil Defence
Force to resolve the problem.
Those stranded were provided with food and drink.
Mr Steven Yeo, General Manager of the Singapore Flyer, said: "At
4.50pm, we experienced an electrical problem on our drive unit
number 1, north unit, which caused several of our electrical
supplies to be cut. The defect has actually been isolated. We found
it to be the drive unit itself. The rest of the wheel, the rest of
the supply, is in full functioning order at the moment."
A passenger who was stuck in one of the capsules said there was a
sudden jerk before the wheel stopped turning. An announcement a few
minutes later said there was a technical error.
Madam Lim Boon Siang, a passenger stuck in one of the capsules,
said: "About 4.30pm or 4.15pm, after we passed the maximum
altitude, it suddenly jerked to a stop, and then for a good five to
10 minutes, we waited.
"We thought that this could be something normal. And then there was
a message that came in that said that it has stopped temporary.
Everybody was calm, but initially the air-con was switched off, so
it was very hot due to the evening sun. They opened up the air
ventilator, and the air-con is working now."
She said there were about 10 other people, including children, in
her cabin.
The spokesperson said: "Their safety was never at risk while they
were in the capsules. Every capsule is equipped with an intercom
system which is linked to the control room - for passengers and the
control room personnel to communicate.
"Our staff promptly informed passengers of the situation and
reassured them that measures were being taken to fix the technical
problem. There are also surveillance cameras installed in every
capsule for the operations team to monitor what is going on in all
capsules."
Singapore Flyer has reimbursed all affected passengers for their
tickets and is making alternative transport arrangements for
travellers who missed their flights to Europe and coaches to
Malaysia.
A ride on the 165-metre tall wheel, about 42 storeys high,
typically takes half an hour and each capsule can take up to 28
people.
Since the Flyer became operational in February this year,
this is the third time it has encountered problems.
The last time a technical glitch occurred was just three weeks ago,
on December 4. The wheel was stuck for nearly five hours due to
extreme weather conditions and some 70 people were affected. In
July, the Flyer stopped due to a minor fault in the braking
system.
Unlike cramped, old-style Ferris wheel carriages that hang in the
open air, the Singapore Flyer and other large observation wheels
feature fixed "capsules".
The 28 sleek-looking capsules - about the size of a city bus - can
hold up to 28 people, and passengers can walk around during the
slowly-moving ride.
The Singapore Flyer, worth about S$240 million (US$171 million),
was a private venture backed mainly by German investors and built
by Mitsubishi Corp and Takenaka Corp of Japan.
Singapore-based Great Wheel Corp is also building wheels in Beijing
and Berlin, which will edge out the Singapore Flyer as the world's
biggest when they begin turning in about two years, the chairman of
Singapore Flyer, Florian Bollen, said before the attraction opened.
- AFP/CNA/vm/de
