SHENZHEN Metro Co. advises commuters taking the Longgang Line to report to staff immediately if belongings fall through the gap between the platform and trains to the tracks as they could cause short circuits and mass power failure.

    The remarks were made after an umbrella fell onto the track causing a short circuit that delayed more than 10,000 commuters Monday morning.

    “Unlike other lines, where power comes from a wire above the trains, the power supply of the Longgang Line comes through a third rail, which is built close to the rail near the platform,” the Shenzhen Metro company said.

    The design was used because the Longgang Line trains run on elevated bridges in some sections. The power supply can be easily disrupted if an item drops onto the track through the gap between train and platform.

    The company said it was hard to find the owner of the umbrella because of a large crowd in Buji Station, an interchange station with the Huanzhong Line, when it happened during rush hour.

    The power cut caused panic among riders stuck in trains for nearly 30 minutes.

    Some riders fainted while other passengers attempted to manually force open train doors. At least one window was smashed on a train to let air in.

    Netizens question Shenzhen Metro’s ability to handle emergency because it didn’t effectively respond to a simple power outage. The Shenzhen Metro said the malfunction of doors needed to be reset manually by drivers. (Han Ximin)