Thrill-seekers were stranded 50ft in the air for three hours when a fairground ride screeched to a dramatic stop after emitting a loud bang.

Around 30 people were trapped on the Top Gun ride at VGP Universal Kingdom, an on the Bay of Bengal in Chennai, eastern , when it dramatically broke down on Wednesday evening. As many as eight young children and 10 women were onboard as the ride stopped dead in its tracks, with some turning to in a desperate bid for help while others tried to call the from their precarious position.

One desperate rider alerted the emergency services via while others tried to get a hold of local police before firefighters eventually rushed to the scene.

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A video taken at the fairground shows the group stuck on the rollercoaster in the dead of night, with dozens of people standing by and watching as the group of 18 waited for emergency services. The video also captured the view from below, with the riders barely visible from their suspended position.

Initial attempts to free the group were in vain, with an on-site crane failing to extend to the height needed to reach them.

Fire and rescue personnel provided water and biscuits to everyone trapped on the ride while they waited for help. A team of rescuers eventually arrived with a hydraulic sky-lift in tow, allowing them to reach up to heights of 150ft - finally enough to extract the trapped riders.

The organised rescue took the combined efforts of nearly three dozen - 35 - firefighters and police officers to bring everyone off the ride, with the extraction taking more than three hours to complete. A medical team was on hand to provide assistance to anyone requiring first aid.

Police later confirmed that the ride had likely become stuck after encountering a mechanical failure, with a spokesperson saying it may not have been "properly maintained".

The spokesperson said: "Preliminary findings suggest the ride was not properly maintained and had pre-existing mechanical issues that were apparently ignored by the operators." An investigation is ongoing.