According to the operator, one person died when a roller coaster fell several meters high at a Swedish amusement park. There are also several injured, a spokesman for the well-known “Gröna Lund” park in the capital Stockholm told Swedish news agency TT on Sunday.
Broadcaster SVT reported, citing rescue workers, that a car had derailed and become stuck. So people fell. Others were trapped and had to be rescued from a height.
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Police said in the afternoon that seven injured children and adults were being treated at clinics for the incident. Authorities initially gave no information about the fatality. According to information from SVT, a total of 14 people were injured.
Gröna Lund is Sweden’s oldest amusement park
An SVT reporter who was in the park during the accident reported: “The car left the tracks and crashed. There were people in it.” “Gröna Lund” spokeswoman Annika Troselius said: “This must not happen. We are all devastated and shocked and focused on caring for those affected and our employees.” The park was cleared to facilitate rescue efforts. Even a helicopter was on duty.
According to the park, the “Jetline” roller coaster runs at up to 90 kilometers per hour on a course that is 800 meters long and up to 30 meters high. It was put into operation in 1988. “Gröna Lund” on Stockholm’s Djurgarden peninsula was founded in 1883 by a German. It is the oldest and one of the most popular amusement parks in Sweden.
More than a million visitors visit the 3.8-hectare site every year. It’s not just rides, but also theaters and stages where world-famous artists such as Abba, Bob Marley and Lady Gaga have performed. In late 1985, the park was partially destroyed in a massive fire, but was rebuilt soon after. (dpa)