This undated photo shows the Osaka Wheel, Japan’s tallest Ferris wheel in Suita, Osaka Prefecture. (PHOTO COURTESY OF OSAKAINFO)
TOKYO — About 20 people were rescued from a giant Ferris wheel in Osaka Prefecture in western Japan hours following a malfunction triggered by lightning late Tuesday afternoon, local media reported.
Workers were able to manually rotate the Osaka Wheel, towering 123 meters, to allow some riders trapped in the gondolas to step out safely on the ground, while others were rescued via a ladder fire truck, Kyodo News reported, citing the operator and a local fire department.
No injuries were reported. The rescue work ended at around 2:40 am local time on Wednesday, about nine hours after a lightning-triggered power outage caused the wheel structure to stop moving, the report said.
Osaka Wheel, Japan’s tallest Ferris wheel, is an attraction within the Expocity shopping mall and movie multiplex in Suita, Osaka Prefecture.
AloJapan.com