Power cut at fair traps hundreds
By Xu Chi |
October 28, 2011, Friday
|
Print Edition
Print Edition
HUNDREDS of visitors were trapped at the Shanghai Grand Carnival in the Pudong New Area yesterday after a sudden power failure shut down all rides and equipment for an hour.
The failure struck the amuse-ment park around 3pm. All lights went out and rides, still carrying people, halted, according to visitors who went online to seek help.
Li Beibei, an official with the park's operations team, told Shanghai Daily the power failure was probably due to electrical circuit problems, but investigations are under way. She said there is no evidence of sabotage.
Li said about 1,000 visitors were thought to be in the park when the accident occurred. She insisted there were no injuries, even among those on a roller-coaster above the ground, as the power failed.
She said: "Without power, the rides gradually stop. The process puts no one in danger."
The incident upset visitors, who asked whether another workers' strike was responsible. Around 150 workers went on strike over unpaid wages for several days in August, forcing the park to shut down.
A local woman surnamed Yu said: "We bought tickets and entered the park only to find all the equipment had stopped operating."
She said for more than half an hour no member of staff gave visitors an explanation or apology, and public address systems were silent.
About 200 visitors gathered at the park entrance demanding refunds.
A visitor surnamed Wang from Zhejiang Province claimed a woman was pushed to the ground by a security guard when she demanded an explanation.
Li said visitors were not kept informed because most staff are foreigners who have difficulty communicating with Chinese visitors.
Li said they did not broadcast the problem immediately because operators were trying to establish the cause to ensure visitors' safety.
Problems continued until 4pm, when rides and equipment resumed operation.
The failure struck the amuse-ment park around 3pm. All lights went out and rides, still carrying people, halted, according to visitors who went online to seek help.
Li Beibei, an official with the park's operations team, told Shanghai Daily the power failure was probably due to electrical circuit problems, but investigations are under way. She said there is no evidence of sabotage.
Li said about 1,000 visitors were thought to be in the park when the accident occurred. She insisted there were no injuries, even among those on a roller-coaster above the ground, as the power failed.
She said: "Without power, the rides gradually stop. The process puts no one in danger."
The incident upset visitors, who asked whether another workers' strike was responsible. Around 150 workers went on strike over unpaid wages for several days in August, forcing the park to shut down.
A local woman surnamed Yu said: "We bought tickets and entered the park only to find all the equipment had stopped operating."
She said for more than half an hour no member of staff gave visitors an explanation or apology, and public address systems were silent.
About 200 visitors gathered at the park entrance demanding refunds.
A visitor surnamed Wang from Zhejiang Province claimed a woman was pushed to the ground by a security guard when she demanded an explanation.
Li said visitors were not kept informed because most staff are foreigners who have difficulty communicating with Chinese visitors.
Li said they did not broadcast the problem immediately because operators were trying to establish the cause to ensure visitors' safety.
Problems continued until 4pm, when rides and equipment resumed operation.
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