One person died and several others were injured after a roller coaster car derailed and plunged from a height of about 30 meters (98 feet) at an amusement park in Sweden on Monday.
The accident happened at the Liseberg park in Gothenburg, the country’s second-largest city, around 5 p.m. local time (11 a.m. ET), according to a statement from the park.
The car was part of the Helix attraction, a steel roller coaster that features multiple inversions, launches and airtime hills. The park said the car had passed a routine safety check earlier in the day.
“We are deeply saddened and shocked by what has happened and our thoughts go to the affected guests and their relatives,” said Andreas Andersen, CEO and president of Liseberg, in the statement.
He added that the park was cooperating fully with the authorities and that the cause of the accident was under investigation.
The park did not provide details on the number or condition of the injured, but local media reported that at least four people were taken to hospital with serious injuries.
Witnesses told Swedish broadcaster SVT that they heard a loud bang and saw smoke before the car fell from the track.
“It was horrible, I saw how it just flew off and people screamed,” said Emma Janson, who was at the park with her family.
The Helix roller coaster opened in 2014 and is one of the park’s most popular attractions. It reaches speeds of up to 100 kilometers per hour (62 miles per hour) and has a total track length of 1.4 kilometers (0.9 miles).
Liseberg is one of Scandinavia’s largest amusement parks and attracts about 3 million visitors annually. It was closed on Tuesday as a mark of respect for the victims and their families.
