A power outage disrupted the Prater amusement park on Saturday afternoon, leaving visitors stranded on rides and prompting emergency services to step in.

The blackout began at around 15:40 and lasted for about an hour. Stefan Sittler-Koidl, who operates several attractions, told ORF that around two-thirds of the park was affected. The cause of the outage is still under investigation.

Visitors Left Stranded

Several rides came to a standstill during the outage, leaving visitors stuck more than 20 metres in the air. Sittler-Koidl said the situation was “largely under control,” with most passengers safely rescued within a short time.

However, one ride proved more challenging. “A magnetic valve failed due to the outage, making it impossible to release the brake,” he explained. “After about 50 minutes, we were able to safely evacuate the passengers.”

Those left stranded were seated 15 metres above the ground. “They were a bit cold,” Sittler-Koidl added, noting that emergency crews helped to warm them up once they were brought down.

Previous Blackouts

Power cuts have disrupted the Prater on several occasions in recent years. One incident in June 2022 caused widespread problems in Vienna’s 2nd district where the park is located. A faulty cable connector left visitors stranded on rides and plunged the Ernst-Happel Stadium into darkness during an Austria-Denmark football match.