ABOUT 20 thrill seekers have been rescued from a stalled rollercoaster at Gold Coast theme park Movie World, after spending about an hour and a half trapped in stifling heat.

But the theme park has come under fire on social media, after releasing an ill-timed tweet promoting its roller-coasters, as rescue crews worked to free the trapped park goers.

A mechanical issue with a chain caused the Arkham Asylum Coaster to malfunction just before midday local time, as a heatwave swept across Queensland.

They remained dangling for about 90 minutes, Queensland Ambulance Service spokesman Paul Young, said, with the last of the passengers freed about 1.20pm local time.

Mr Young said all were assessed and cleared of injury, though most looked “a bit flushed” as temperatures climbed into the 30s as the rescue operation continued.

Queensland Fire and Emergency Services had to use a cherry picker to reach some of the passengers as rescue firefighters worked to free them.

Movie World employees were giving trapped passengers water as the operation continued, the park’s general manager Greg Young said.

“Warner Brothers Movie World is currently conducting an evacuation of the Arkham Asylum Coaster, due to a mechanical issue with the chain,” Mr Young said.

“There are no injuries to any guest on board and we are in direct communication with these guests.”

But the park came under fire from Twitter users, when it sent out a tweet promoting its roller-coasters, as the passengers remained dangling in the air.

“Tag someone you think should add these to their New Year’s Resolutions” it said, above a picture of one of their roller-coasters.

Many attacked the timing of the tweet, which was deleted after more than an hour.

The theme park underwent extensive safety testing following the deaths of four tourists at nearby Dreamworld in October last year.

Temperatures across Queensland and New South Wales are soaring today, as a heatwave sweeps across Australia’s east coast.

The Queensland Fire and Rescue Service has been called to assist park management with the vertical rescue.

Paramedics are on standby but there are no reports of injuries.

Rescue firefighters were called to the park about midday local time.

The Arkham Asylum roller coaster travels at speeds of up to 85 kilometres per hour.

Passengers wear a virtual reality mask throughout the ride, where they experience “five stomach-churning inversions”.

The ride malfunction comes less than a month after Dreamworld reopened.

The park closed for two months in the wake of the deaths of four tourists on the Thunder River Rapids Ride in late October.

Kate Goodchild, her brother Luke Dorsett, his partner Roozi Araghi and Cindy Low died in what was the deadliest accident at an Australian theme park since the 1970s.

The family trips on the popular Thunder River Rapids ride turned to tragedy when the raft the group were travelling in collided with a stationary raft and flipped, throwing the four into the machinery and water.

The park reopened on December 10.

It is not owned by the same company as Movie World.