Power outage at American Dream Mall in N.J. stops amusement rides in their tracks

The power went out at the American Dream Mall in East Rutherford, New Jersey Monday afternoon, stopping some amusement rides in their tracks. 

The power outage started around 3 p.m. Monday. The cause is still not clear, but PSE&G said the outage was "an issue with equipment internal to American Dream's electrical system," adding they are working to restore power.

Everyone was safely evacuated from the rides. Some people initially stuck on rides at the mall were assisted by the East Rutherford Fire Department personnel. One person reported having difficulty breathing. 

"Due to a localized power outage, some areas of the center are currently without power. We are working closely with the utility company to restore service as safely and quickly as possible," American Dream said in a statement. 

Video posted to social media shows a pretty calm response, with people strolling in the mall in near darkness, and others casually sitting poolside after being told to get out of the water. One mall-goer said that while things were largely calm, a crowd of people gathered, likely all seeking refunds at the same time. 

It was a disappointing trip to the mall for attendees who spoke with CBS News New York. 

One person described all the lights going off, followed by a "really loud noise," and then the rides stopped working. 

"I go to the mall and there's no power. Everything's all blacked out. I'm like, there's no way. I came all the way from Florida and today is the day there is no power," tourist Tony Rodgers said. 

"We were waiting for a ride. We were about to get on when the power went out," one mall-goer said.