Firefighters save 19 people trapped on fairground ride

Six children were among 19 people rescued from a fairground ride on the Southbank in central London which became stuck 20 metres above the ground on Sunday. Firefighters spent more than three hours working to retrieve those who were trapped on the attraction on last night. There were no reported injuries and it is not known what caused the ride — which has capsules that swing around a central pillar — to stop working. London Fire Brigade (LFB) manager Clive Robinson said people on board had waited patiently to be rescued.

“It was slow work as we need to access each cage on the ride individually and ensure they were secure before we move them from the ride onto our platform and bring them back down to the ground.

“There were no injuries and everyone was patiently waiting for us to get around to them. “While everyone was very relieved to be back on the ground, everyone was very calm.” The London Wonderground, where the ride is located, is situated next to Jubilee Gardens on the Southbank.

Over the summer months it hosts fairground rides, cabaret, comedy, music and has bars and eating stands.