A roller coaster accident resulted in a person plunging to their death and several others falling from atop the ride.
Eyewitnesses at the Gröna Lund amusement park in Stockholm, Sweden described a chaotic scene in which the front car of the roller coaster derailed, hanging dangerously close to the ground, leading to several passengers being flung from the ride.
Reports indicate that nine people, including three children, were immediately rushed to the hospital due to injuries sustained in the accident. Ziba Assadi, who witnessed the incident, recalled the shocking scene of people falling out of the stopped car.
In a press conference, the park’s CEO, Jan Eriksson, spoke of the deep sorrow felt for the victims. He detailed that the roller coaster had derailed at a height of approximately 20 to 25 feet; the maximum height of the coaster is 98 feet.. Among the 14 passengers onboard, one lost their life while several others were injured.
Onlookers reported seeing two or three individuals being ejected from the derailed car. A chilling photograph shows a man waiting on a beam beneath the halted train.
Jenny Lagerstedt, a journalist who was at the park when the incident occurred, heard a metallic noise and saw the track shaking just before the derailment.
Authorities have launched a criminal investigation in the wake of the accident to explore the possibility of charges such as involuntary manslaughter. Gröna Lund, Sweden’s oldest amusement park since 1883, has been cleared out and is expected to remain closed for a week for a thorough investigation into the accident’s cause.