MALACCA – The Malaysian state’s latest tourist attraction, the Malacca Eye, got off to a bad start when a power disruption left scores of people trapped on the ferris wheel last Friday night.
The maiden ride turned out to be a terror ride for some 50 people who were trapped in the gondolas, 25 metres in the air.
Some were trapped for more than 20 minutes before technicians climbed up the ferris wheel and moved it manually to lower passengers from each compartment.
The Malacca Eye, located along the Sungai Malacca is the state’ latest tourist attraction, built at a cost of RM3.3 million (US$ 990,000) .
The New Straits Times said the incident happened just as Malacca’s state governor and chief minister arrived for their turn on the new tourist attraction, built on the banks of the Malacca River.
“I was shaken. This is a sign of poor safety features. I feel the ferris wheel is not ready for operations yet,” Ibrahim Mohamed, whose daughter and grandchildren were trapped on the ride, told the daily.
