Passengers stuck on roller coaster at Florida theme park

ORLANDO, Florida (Reuters) - Florida firefighters were attempting to pluck passengers to safety on Wednesday after they got stuck aboard a towering roller coaster that malfunctioned at the Universal theme park in Orlando. A dispatcher with the Orlando Fire Department said an undetermined number of people had been stranded for more than two hours on the Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit, which is billed as Orlando's tallest roller coaster. Live video from a local TV news helicopter showed people on at least two of the roller coaster's cars affected by the mechanical glitch. Orlando's WKMG TV news said at least two of 12 passengers affected by the glitch had already been rescued but there was no immediate official confirmation of the report. The Rip Ride Rockit stands 17 stories tall and can reach speeds as high as 65 miles per hour (105 km per hour). The attraction was shuttered for two days in early August after a rider suffered minor injuries when the car she was riding in stopped. A spokesman for the theme park could not be reached for comment on the latest mishap but there were no immediate reports of any injuries. (Reporting by Barbara Liston; Editing by Lisa Shumaker)