AN emergency operation last night rescued 11 people trapped in a lift for three hours in a Sydney tourist attraction.

The rescue happened in pitch black darkness in high winds.

Police were called to the Sydney Tower about 7pm after a double-decker lift became stuck between the turret and the ground floor. Police said the lift was about 200 metres above ground level.

----------

Were you there? Do you know anyone involved? Tell us what you saw or your images. Message 0424 SMS SMH (+61 424 767 764) or email us with information or images.

----------

Those trapped were all aged between 20 and 50. No one had been injured.

Police rescue officers used harnesses to rescue each person one by one.

They brought a working lift up parallel to the broken-down lift, then brought the trapped passengers out through the ceiling of the broken-down lift, across into the elevator which iwas working.

They were then ferrieddown to the ground floor.

It was not clear what caused the lift to break down.

The 305-metre tower is the tallest building in Sydney and is served by three high-speed lifts that take about 40 seconds to travel from top to bottom. The 250-metre-high turret contains the observation deck and two restaurants.

- AAP