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International experts join Singapore wheel probe

(Agencies)
Updated: 2008-12-31 12:04

SINGAPORE -- International experts have flown to Singapore to investigate an incident that trapped 173 people on the world's biggest observation wheel last week, the attraction's chairman said.

A man jogs past the world's largest observation wheel the Singapore Flyer on December 29. International experts have flown to Singapore to investigate an incident that trapped 173 people on the world's biggest observation wheel last week. [Agencies]

Florian Bollen said late Tuesday that the experts have gathered to examine what caused the incident at the Singapore Flyer "and to make sure that this will never happen again." Police are also probing the stoppage.

The Flyer has been closed since it stopped turning for several hours on December 23 because of what the company has described as a malfunction that resulted from a small electrical fire.

Most passengers were stuck inside the Flyer's enclosed cabins until power was restored after more than six hours but 10 escaped using rescue harnesses. Two were taken to hospital, officials said.

Steven Yeo, the Flyer's general manager, said earlier that the stoppage was the fourth and most serious at the wheel since it opened in February.

"We are taking immediate steps to ensure that even more stringent systems are in place, the most important being an even greater ability to continue to rotate the wheel at all times via additional independent back-up mechanisms," Bollen said in a statement.

"This will be on top of the standby generator which we currently have."

Police said the Flyer would be allowed to resume operation once it has been certified as safe by an internationally-recognised body that assesses safety standards for amusement rides.