Giant ferris wheel in Singapore stalls, trapping passengers

By JERUSALEM POST STAFF
Fire broke out in the control room of the world's tallest ferris wheel Tuesday in Singapore, trapping 173 people hundreds of feet above the ground for hours and forcing rescuers to lower 10 passengers to safety by rope. Two passengers were hospitalized with minor ailments. During the six hour-ordeal, passengers were able to talk with officials via intercom and rescuers tethered to harnesses brought them sandwiches and soft drinks, said general manager Steven Yeo. The 165-meter Flyer, which has carried 2 million passengers so far, is about 30 meters taller than the London Eye, formerly the world's tallest ferris wheel. It was built by Japan's Mitsubishi Heavy Industries. Technicians were able to get the wheel moving again a little more than six hours after it ground to a halt and most of the passengers exited normally, Yeo said.