FOR MORE THAN FIVE HOURS, 12 HOURS, TWO ROOSEVELT ISLAND TRAMS HAVE BEEN WERE STUCK OVER THE EAST RIVER — BETWEEN ROOSEVELT ISLAND AND MANHATTAN. MORE THAN 80  69 PEOPLE ON BOARD. A POWER OUTAGE WAS THE CAUSE. PASSENGERS WERE RESCUED IN MANUALLY OPERATED RESCUE "BASKETS" 10 AT A TIME. PHOTO BY EYEONASTORIA. THIS FROM NY1:

Emergency responders worked overnight to rescue dozens of passengers from the Roosevelt Island tram after the cable car system lost power Tuesday evening, stranding 69 people.

By 3 a.m. Wednesday, rescuers had removed all 47 people from the Roosevelt Island-bound car, by transferring the passengers to a self-powered rescue gondola high above the East River.

Rescuers removed a window from the tram and used a harness to swing passengers across a two-foot gap to the rescue gondola. It took four separate trips to complete the harrowing process, with the rescue gondola carrying about a dozen passengers each time.

Once back on land, the passengers were examined by EMTs and greeted by Mayor Michael Bloomberg, who stood by to monitor the rescue operation.

With all of the first car’s passengers accounted for, rescuers were preparing to remove the remaining 22 passengers from the second cable car, which sat suspended above Manhattan’s First Avenue.

No injuries had been reported at that time.

The two tram cars became stuck shortly before 5:30 p.m. when the tram’s main and backup power generators both failed.

TRAM FACTS:

City officials say they’re looking into what caused the power failure.Here’s a quick look at the two Roosevelt Island cable cars stuck over the East River when they lost power Tuesday:

– Built in 1976 to shuttle Roosevelt Island residents to and from midtown Manhattan.

– Each of two cars holds about 125 people.

– Each tramcar travels about 3,100 feet at an average speed of 16 mph in 4 1/2 minutes, rising to a maximum height of 250 feet.