London Olympics cable car breakdown leaves dozens stranded at 300ft

Updated


London Olympics cable car 'heat' breakdown leaves dozens stranded at 300ft
London Olympics cable car 'heat' breakdown leaves dozens stranded at 300ft

Stock photo: PA


Dozens of people were left dangling at 300ft this morning after a set of London Olympics cable cars broke down, with some claiming it was the heat.

The £44 million Emirates Air Line is the first urban cable car system in the UK, and will be used to ferry people between Olympic venues.

It links the O2 Arena in Greenwich with the ExCel exhibition centre at the Royal Docks.

More than 30 cars carrying 60 people came to a standstill, and frustrated customers took to Twitter to vent their grievances.

According to the Telegraph, Cassam Looch wrote: "So according to someone working here, the Emirates Air Line might have problems when it's over 30 degree Celsius."

Another passenger, Alastair Owens, wrote: "London Emirates cable car has broken down and we're dangling mid air over the docks -- seem to be evacuating...

"Can see cable cars closest to ground have been evacuated, but we in mid air are being told nothing -- come on @emirates."

Customers were brought down to the ground after about 30 minutes, and Mr Owens added: "Emirates cable car turned out to be great school holiday mini adventure - greeted with apologies and water as we landed."

Danny Price, the head of Emirates Air Line, apologised, telling the Telegraph: "The Emirates Air Line is now back up and running after experiencing a technical fault at 1145am.

"All passengers were safely back in the terminal by 1218 and water and first aid were made available to them.

"We would like to apologise to anyone affected."

Emirates is sponsoring the cable car system for 10 years at a cost of £36 million. It can carry up to 2,500 people per hour in each direction over nearly half a mile.

The system was reportedly back up and running at 12.40pm after its technical hitch.

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