Blackout at Italy amusement park halts rides on opening day

ROME – A blackout at a popular Italian amusement park left people temporarily stranded on rides on the season-opening day. No injuries were reported.

The most dramatic rescue Saturday at Gardaland appeared to be that of a family of four trapped on the top of a roller coaster. According to eyewitness video of the rescue shown on Sky TG24, they were brought down by crews on a set of emergency stairs.

The head of the park, Aldo Maria Vigevani, blamed the blackout on an electricity burst generated by utility Enel that fried a park transformer. In a statement carried by the ANSA news agency, Vigevani said the park shut down and restarted all rides as a precaution.

Gardaland is located near Lake Garda in the northeast.