SOME 20 cable-car passengers got more than they paid for yesterday afternoon when they were left stranded in their cabins for about 15 minutes, following a bout of bad weather.
The Mount Faber Leisure Group – which operates the cable- car system between Mount Faber and Sentosa – said that a bolt of lightning caused the 67 cable-car cabins, 110m in the air, to come to a standstill at about 12.45pm.
A spokesman clarified that there was no blackout during the incident. An independent back-up system was kick-started to get the cabins moving again at about 1pm.
The next 45 minutes were spent ferrying the affected passengers to safety, before the service resumed about an hour later after the all-clear was given.
The disruption, a first since the revamped cable cars were open to the public in July, was triggered by lightning sensors in its safety system, said the spokesman.
The cable-car system, which underwent a $36-million makeover, has a lightning protection device that stops cabins from moving when a certain amount of lightning activity is detected, she said.
Yesterday, the National Environment Agency’s Meteorological Services Division said that Sentosa recorded moderate rainfall and high winds of up to 23kmh.
All 20 passengers had their fares refunded, the spokesman added. To ensure the safety and comfort of passengers, each cabin is equipped with a one-way communication system and ration packs are placed under cabin seats. In an emergency, the interior of the cabin will light up automatically.
In 1983, two cable-car cabins plunged 55m into the sea when a passing oil rig got entangled with the cable, causing it to snap. Seven people died and 13 people had to be rescued from four cable cars trapped between Mount Faber and Sentosa.
There was little sign of anything amiss at both The Jewel Box at Mount Faber and the Jewel Cable Car Station in Sentosa after the service was reinstated yesterday.
Tour groups and tourists also went ahead with their rides, unfazed by heavy showers which continued after 5pm.
Many were unaware that there had been a service disruption.
Mrs Jackie Green, a 45-year-old housewife who took a round-trip on the cable car with her husband and two daughters, said: “If the system is up and running again, then it should mean that there’s no longer anything wrong with the cable cars and it’s safe enough for passengers to board.”
With the annual north-east monsoon season looming, Singaporeans can continue to expect heavy showers with lightning for the next two months.
It has raised concerns that high-rise attractions such as the Singapore Flyer could also encounter similar incidents.
However, a Flyer spokesman said that every capsule of the giant observation wheel is equipped with lightning conductors as well as a lightning- warning system.
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