Dreamworld: Passengers safe after sensor stops ride

Several passengers have been briefly stranded on a rollercoaster at Australia's Dreamworld theme park.

A safety system stopped the Buzz Saw ride automatically but no-one was put in danger, Dreamworld said.

The passengers were trapped on the ride for about half an hour, according to local media.

Four people were killed at the park on Queensland's Gold Coast last year when the Thunder River Rapids ride malfunctioned.

The Buzz Saw ride is billed as "the highest inversion ride in the Southern Hemisphere" with a 46m (150ft) vertical ascent.

Dreamworld said the pause was triggered by an automatic sensor.

"Auto-stopping and resetting of rides is a regular and essential part of operations," it said in a statement.

"It occurs for a variety of reasons, from sensor alignment to guest behaviour or weather. Guests are not placed in danger by auto-stops occurring."

Dreamworld has hosted 30 million people since opening in 1981, with last year's tragedy its first deadly accident.