By Lee Kyung-min
Seventy people were stuck in midair on a thrill ride for three hours before being rescued Saturday after an equipment malfunction at the indoor amusement park in Lotte World in Jamsil, southern Seoul, the operator of the park said Sunday.
The ride got stuck in at 6:58 p.m. Saturday, after the ride operator tried to stop it following an urgent demand from a girl who screamed that she be let off the ride immediately. The girl said she was too scared of the ride.
Fire authorities and rescue crews arrived at the scene after receiving an emergency call and were able to rescue all 70 people by 10 p.m.
Of the total, nine were children aged between eight and nine. No one suffered any injuries. The authorities are inspecting the ride to identify the cause of the malfunction.
The ride called “Flyventure,” is made to allow the riders experience flying in 4D while looking at a 20-meter-wide 12-meter-high screen.
Officials at the amusement park said they would conduct a thorough safety inspection, vowing to prevent any recurrence.
Meanwhile, this came a week after one person was killed and seven injured in a spinning ride malfunction in the U.S. state of Ohio.
A part of the ride called “Fire Ball” split and fell, throwing some riders into the air and then to the ground. Of the seven injured, two are in critical condition.