Lightning strike halts Japan’s tallest ferris wheel in Osaka, trapping 20 people for 9 hours before successful rescue operation with no injuries reported
OSAKA: Approximately 20 people were rescued from Japan’s tallest Ferris wheel after a lightning strike caused the massive structure to stop operating.
The 123-meter-tall Osaka Wheel at Expocity shopping mall in Suita halted late Tuesday afternoon following a power outage triggered by lightning.
Rescue workers manually rotated the wheel structure to allow some trapped passengers to exit their gondolas safely at ground level.
Other riders were rescued using ladder fire trucks during the extensive nine-hour operation.
The Osaka Prefecture fire department confirmed no injuries were reported among the rescued passengers.
Rescue efforts concluded around 2:40 am Wednesday, approximately nine hours after the initial malfunction.
The Osaka Wheel attraction, located near the preserved Tower of the Sun from the 1970 Japan World Exposition, is billed as the country’s tallest Ferris wheel.
Operator and fire department officials coordinated the successful rescue operation following the weather-related incident. – Bernama-Kyodo
