Iconic London landmark breaks down on hottest day of the year
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The London Eye has broken down twice on the hottest day of the year with tourists stranded inside. The iconic landmark broke down at around 3.45pm today as temperatures in the capital soared to 28C, marking the hottest May Day ever on record.
It then began letting passengers back before coming to a halt a second time just forty minutes later, the Metro reported. People on board were left suspended more than 400ft in the air after the wheel came to an abrupt halt. Meanwhile, crowds were seen gathering at the base of the huge Ferris wheel, which holds 32 capsules, each carrying up to 28 passengers.
Marta Suleva had been taking a trip in the wheel with her husband and two children and were left stuck at the top when it stopped moving. She told The Sun: 'We had an announcement that there were technical problems. But the air conditioning stayed working which was a relief.
'Our cabin was full. We were up high so it was really good, we had the best views of the city.' It is not the first time the popular tourist attraction has broken down. In 2016 hundreds of people were left stranded in the air for hours after it stopped working.
The attraction came to a juddering halt at 7.21pm on October 1 leaving some stuck in the air as engineers tried to fix it, with ambulances waiting on the ground. A trip usually takes just 30 minutes but it wasn't until 10.40pm that everyone had disembarked from the 32-pod wheel, which can hold up to 800 passengers.
The attraction opened to the public on March 9, 2000, and swiftly became one of London's most recognisable landmarks. Built on the banks of the River Thames opposite the Houses of Parliament, the ferris wheel stands at 440 feet (135 metres) tall and has 32 capsules, each carrying up to 28 passengers
A spokesperson for London the London Eye said: 'Earlier today, the London Eye temporarily paused to investigate a minor technical issue. 'Our technical team were able to quickly resolve the issue, resulting in a short 10 minute delay to boarding, after which we resumed operating as usual. We apologise for any inconvenience caused.'
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