Police and firefighters were called to the scene just after 5pm, after receiving calls for assistance.
The wheel's operator revealed the attraction had experienced a technical failure in its "secondary system", which triggered a temporary stoppage as part of safety procedures.
In a statement, the company said operation resumed at 5.30pm, and all 190 passengers disembarked safely 15 minutes later.
The attraction was shut down for the rest of Thursday evening to facilitate safety checks.
Some tourists were left disappointed, including Meizi and John from the Philippines.
"We're kind of disappointed ... we're upset because we actually just [came] here to experience. Now it's closed, we're not sure why. We'll go somewhere else, I think," they said.
The Development Bureau, meanwhile, has requested an investigation report from the operator as soon as possible.
The bureau noted the operator has maintained a solid record in running the attraction over the years, and was confident it can learn from the experience and avoid a repeat of the incident.
The existing operator, the Entertainment Corporation Limited, was awarded a tender in June to manage the wheel until 2029.
AFerris wheel in Hong Kong’s Central district has resumed operations following a system failure that left 190 people trapped on Thursday night.
The Hong Kong Observation Wheel said in a statement on Thursday evening that a backup system failure left 190 people trapped on the ride for about 40 minutes. They were all evacuated from the wheel safely at 5:45 pm.
In a Friday update, the operator said all safety checks had been completed, and operations resumed from 11 am: “Our sincere apologies for any inconvenience caused and we look forward to welcoming you all.”
The Hong Kong Observation Wheel is part of the AIA Vitality Park on the Central harbourfront.
In a statement issued Thursday night, the Electrical and Mechanical Services Department said it had investigated the incident: “The preliminary findings revealed that the failure of the backup system of the observation wheel has triggered the safety system to suspend the observation wheel.”
The department was notified of the suspension at 5.26 pm on Thursday, after which EMSD officers arrived at the scene to conduct an on-site inspection. No injuries were reported.
