23 Injured After Theme Park Ride Breaks in Half and Crashes to the Ground

Yahoo

3 days ago

Authorities said that they were investigating the cause of the ride's collapseNEED TO KNOW
Over 20 people were injured after a theme park ride broke in half and crashed to the ground at Green Mountain Park in Taif, Saudi Arabia
A video of the incident shared on social media showed the ride — called the "360 Degrees" — breaking in half as it made its ascent
Authorities told local outlets that they were investigating the cause of the ride's collapseNearly two dozen people have reportedly been injured after a theme park ride broke in half and crashed in Saudi Arabia.
The incident — which was captured on video and shared in multiple posts on X — occurred at Green Mountain Park in Taif on Thursday, July 31 (local time), according to CNN News 18, NDTV and the Hindustan Times.
In the videos shared online, people could be seen riding the 360 Degrees, which normally has riders strapped to their chairs along a revolving platform that is flipped in the air from side to side while connected to a central pole. The ride appears to kick off as normal, showing the riders being flipped halfway through the air.
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However, as the ride gained speed on the upward swing, the central pole suddenly breaks in half and the platform comes crashing down. The riders bounced from the impact as their seats hit the ground hard as nearby bystanders screamed.
In total, 23 people were injured, with three people in critical condition, per CNN News 18 and NDTV, which cited the Khaleej Times.
Eyewitnesses told the Khaleej Times they saw riders get injured while falling, despite being strapped to their seats. They also saw the central pole recoil at a high speed and strike some people who had been standing on the opposite side of the ride.
Several people were treated at the scene before being transferred to nearby hospitals, per the outlets. Hospitals in Taif declared a code yellow emergency, which signifies a disaster or mass casualty event, according to CNN News 18.
Law enforcement were dispatched to the scene shortly after it occurred, according to NDTV. Authorities have launched an investigation into the incident in order to find out what may have caused the ride to collapse.
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This isn't the first time an amusement park accident has occurred this year. A 24-year-old woman named Priyanka died after a roller coaster malfunctioned at an amusement park in Delhi, India in April, according to India Today.
She had been on the roller coaster's swing when it broke and she came crashing to the ground. She was taken to the hospital with severe injuries and was later pronounced dead, according to the outlet.
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