Eleven people were stranded for nearly four hours on a roller coaster in east China after the operators stopped it suddenly fearing it would break down, state media reported today.

After seeing the emergency red light on the control panel flashing, the operators of the "Skyloop" roller coaster pressed the emergency stop button, leaving 11 riders stranded 30 metres above the ground on Friday, according to state television CCTV.

Instead of manually rolling the coaster down the steep tracks, the operators called in local firefighters for help.

Rescuers used a special crane and bucket to bring down the stranded riders one by one, said CCTV.

None of the riders were injured in the incident, but they all suffered shock and fatigue and had been sent to a local hospital for evaluation and check-ups, it added.

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