SINGAPORE - The stalling of a Sentosa monorail train on Thursday night was caused by a technical fault, said Sentosa Leisure Management in a statement Friday.
"Initial investigations indicate a technical fault which resulted in a power outage, leading to the stalling of the train," said Mr Koh Piak Huat, Divisional Director, Operations, Sentosa Leisure Management (SLM). It manages the Sentosa Express, the island's monorail system.
Sixty-one passengers were stranded in the two-carriage Sentosa Express train for more than an hour before they were safely evacuated.
At 10.10pm Thursday, the train bound for VivoCity came to a stop between the Imbiah and Beach stations.
A spokesman for Sentosa Development Corporation (SDC), which owns SLM, said "immediate efforts" were made to bring the 61 guests and also staff onboard the train to safety according to standard rescue procedures. This involved transferring them to a rescue train that would bring them back to the nearest Imbiah Station, she said.
"However, due to technical difficulties in moving the rescue train, the SCDF was eventually called in to assist with the rescue operations," the spokesman added.
The Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) sent one fire engine, a red rhino, two ambulances and two supporting vehicles for the rescue operations. The first vehicle arrived within eight minutes and the last passenger was rescued around 2am. Ladders were used to allow passengers to climb down from the train.
All 61 passengers were rescued, including a 48-year-old woman who was sent to the Singapore General Hospital as she complained of discomfort.
The SCDF spokesman said for safety reasons, each passenger had to wear a helmet and be secured by a safety line before coming down the ladder.
Taxi transportation was arranged to take the passengers home.
If you were caught in the stalled Sentosa Express train last night, please get in touch with us at STshare@sph.com.sg.
Twitter user Shruthi, who was apparently one of the commuters on board the affected train, took to Twitter to share her experience. Selected tweets below:
Stuck on the sentosa express. There seems to be a fault with the electric lines. This is amusing and a new experience
— Shruthi (@shurru) December 4, 2014
Ok. Now this is getting ridiculous. @Sentosa_Island sentosa express has been broken down for over an hour!!
— Shruthi (@shurru) December 4, 2014
Ok. Now this is getting ridiculous. @Sentosa_Island sentosa express has been broken down for over an hour!!
— Shruthi (@shurru) December 4, 2014
Omg there is a ladder!! This is turning into an interesting experience. Making lemonade.
— Shruthi (@shurru) December 4, 2014
Finally on the ground! Thank you for being so helpful after this whole debacle! @SCDF @Sentosa_Island pic.twitter.com/vrFI2s1S9y
— Shruthi (@shurru) December 4, 2014
It's insane how close to the station the train ended up breaking down. pic.twitter.com/yFP8QMKcR8
— Shruthi (@shurru) December 4, 2014
Thank you @Sentosa_Island management for taking such good care of us after this crazy debacle and arranging for us to get home safely.
— Shruthi (@shurru) December 4, 2014