Phu Quoc: Hon Thom cable car experiences power failure, over 8,000 tourists evacuated by speedboat.
The Hon Thom cable car system unexpectedly ceased operation due to an electrical fault on the afternoon of February 19th, forcing the operating unit to mobilize dozens of boats to evacuate the large number of stranded tourists on the island.
The Hon Thom cable car system in Phu Quoc experienced an electrical malfunction around 3 PM on February 19th, disrupting passenger transportation. This coincided with the peak time for tourists leaving the island to return to An Thoi town, leading to localized congestion at the ferry terminal.
To handle the emergency situation, the tourist area management deployed approximately 30 canoes along with an electric vehicle system to transport visitors. However, due to the high number of visitors on the third day of Tet (Lunar New Year), the evacuation of about 8,000 people lasted until after 7:30 PM before officially ending.
Based on real-life experiences of tourists.
Mr. Trong Anh, the tour guide for 30 tourists visiting Hon Thom Island, said the incident completely changed the group's evening schedule. Although they had been informed that the cable car might operate slowly from 3 PM, by the time the group arrived at the pier at 4 PM, the area was already crowded.
Anton Morozov, a Russian tourist present at the scene, shared that he had to wait nearly three hours before he could board a speedboat. According to Anton's description, the crowd at the pier was so large that the golf carts struggled to move in the hot weather. Many tourists chose to walk to the pier to quickly leave the island. Immediately after resolving the situation, the resort management implemented a policy of refunding cable car tickets for affected tourists.
Regarding the world's longest over-sea cable car line.
The Hon Thom cable car line officially began operation in 2018, connecting An Thoi town via Hon Roi and Hon Dua islands to Hon Thom island. With a total length of nearly 8 km, this project has been awarded the Guinness World Record for the longest three-wire cable car in the world, significantly shortening travel time from 30 minutes (by speedboat) to just 15 minutes.
Hon Thom Island is currently one of the most prominent tourist destinations in the south of Phu Quoc Island, offering a variety of entertainment and resort activities. According to data from travel agencies, during the first few days of the Tet holiday, the area welcomed an average of about 10,000 visitors per day.
