EAST RUTHERFORD, New Jersey — A power outage affected parts of the American Dream shopping and entertainment complex on Monday, causing several rides to suddenly stop while guests were still on them.
East Rutherford firefighters helped remove visitors from the stalled attractions. American Dream management said all guests were safely evacuated from the rides and that no serious injuries were reported. One person experienced difficulty breathing.
Because of the outage, only emergency lighting remained on in some parts of the complex, while restaurants and most stores were forced to close. Although guests were removed from the amusement rides, the entire shopping complex was not officially evacuated.
Video posted by ABC7 New York showed darkened hallways inside American Dream and visitors remaining in the complex while crews worked to resolve the problem.
PSE&G said the outage was not caused by a problem with the wider power grid, but by equipment connected to American Dream’s internal electrical system. Management expected power to be restored later that evening and said the complex would be fully operational again on Tuesday.
American Dream is located in East Rutherford, next to MetLife Stadium, and is one of the largest shopping and entertainment complexes in the United States.
Sources: ABC7 New York and CBS News New York
Video: Screenshot/video from ABC7 New York on X