Emergency crews rescued passengers aboard a Walt Disney World monorail train early this morning after they were stranded for nearly three hours because of a power failure, authorities said.
The monorail system went down at about 1 a.m., affecting seven trains and stranding about 300 passengers on the red train near the Magic Kingdom, the Associated Press reported.
Three of the seven trains were carrying passengers, two of which were towed into a station where riders could exit. Three other trains were at a station when the incident occurred, and another train was empty.
Passengers aboard the red train described the condition inside the train as “stuffy, muggy and hot,” Local 6 News reported
“The monorail just shut down and came to a stop,” said a woman aboard the train who had a 3-month-old with her. “The lights turned off, the air conditioner turned off, and then the pilot said we’re experiencing technical difficulties.”
Other children were also aboard the red monorail, and Reedy Creek Fire Department emergency personnel used a ladder truck to remove several people, according to witnesses. Passengers also helped each other exit the monorail through the roof of the train, witnesses said.
Bo Jones of the Reedy Creek Fire Department said no one was injured, the Associated Press reported.
The cause of the malfunction is not known.
The red train was later moved to the Ticket and Transportation Center.
In a statement released this morning, Disney said, “Our commitment to safety guides all we do and this is the type of situation we train for with Reedy Creek. We extend our apologies to guests who were affected and are working directly with them.”
Disney said the monorail system was restored to full operation at 7:30 a.m.
The incident comes about five months after a monorail pilot was killed in a crash, the first fatal accident in the 38-year history of Walt Disney World’s monorail.
Austin Wuennenberg, the operator of one of the monorail trains, was pronounced dead at the scene after two monorails collided at about 2 a.m. on July 5 at the Ticket and Transportation Center near the Magic Kingdom.
Source
