Roller coaster passengers rescued after ride malfunction at US amusement park

Two dozen people have been rescued from a malfunctioning roller coaster at a US amusement park after spending more than four hours stuck as high as 30 metres in the air.

The Joker’s Jinx roller coaster at Six Flags in Maryland stopped near the top of the ride, leaving riders trapped in an upright position.

Video from a news helicopter showed the cars stuck in a curved part of the track.

Riders were provided umbrellas by rescue crews to shade them from the sun.

The riders were then brought to the ground one-by-one on a cherry picker.

A park statement said the ride has a computerised safety system that can cause such stoppages.

The park is still investigating what caused the ride to stop.