India, Oct. 19 -- A malfunction at the North Carolina State Fair left dozens of passengers suspended nearly 100 feet in the air Thursday evening when the popular Vertigo ride abruptly stopped mid-operation.

According to John Wesley Waugh, Director of Communications for the North Carolina Department of Labor (NCDOL), the ride automatically halted after detecting a low-voltage fault, a built-in precaution designed to prevent mechanical failure.

Waugh told PEOPLE that the low-voltage fault triggered the ride to automatically stop as a precaution. "The ride came to a controlled stop, allowing for the safe and timely manual evacuation of all patrons. At no point was anyone at risk," he stated.

Fair staff carried out a manual evacuation to b...