Barasat, Jan. 22: A maintenance worker of an amusement park run by Ashokenagar-Kalyangarh municipality in North 24-Parganas died after he got entangled in the cables of a ropeway while carrying out repairs.

Sibu Sau, 52, who was engaged by the private company looking after the maintenance of the ropeway, was tightening the screws of the wheel that rotates and moves the cabins.

Sources in the Millennium Science Park at Ashokenagar said a part of the metal cable was being taken off from the wheel and lowered from a height of 80ft when Sibu's left leg got entangled. As he tried to free himself, his neck got entangled.

Sibu lay entangled in the cable for two hours even as his colleagues tried to climb up the tower supporting the cable to free him.

The ropeway was not functioning properly and its service has been closed for the past one week. Like other days, visitors today entered the park which has a paddleboat, joyrides and a mini science museum among other things.

"Although the park was open today, the ropeway's maintenance was going on. There were about 45 visitors at the park at the time of the incident," said an official of the municipality that runs the park.

Around 12.30pm, three workers from the maintenance section went up to the wheel and the rope section of the ropeway. The wheel used to make noise and the workers were trying to fix the problem.

"We found three persons suddenly screaming for help. We alerted other staff members in the park," said Akash Kundu, a local resident who was at the park with his friends.

Soon, fire brigade and police rushed to the spot. The fire brigade could not rescue Sibu as the rope got tied to his left leg and needed a taller ladder. Around 2pm, a ladder from Barasat fire station was sent and Sibu was brought down around 3pm.

"Sibu's leg was cut and bleeding. The rope was entangled around his neck that strangulated him," said a fire brigade official.

He was declared brought-dead at Ashokenagar state general hospital. The other two workers didn't suffer any injury.

Samir Dutta, the vice-chairman of the Trinamul-run municipality, said the civic body would review security measures before throwing the cable car ride open to public again. "The maintenance was given to a private company. We will see what went wrong. We cannot take any chance," said Dutta.

Ashokenagar is 45km from Calcutta.