A Sunday roller coaster derailment accident at Gröna Lund, Sweden’s oldest amusement park, claimed one life and left nine others injured.
The train partially derailed and stopped at a height between 20 and 25 feet, with one car tilted towards the ground, according to park chief executive Jan Eriksson. The nine injured were transported to a hospital, one of them in serious condition as of Sunday. Three of the injured were children, all of whom sustained minor injuries, according to the Associated Press (AP).
Witnesses said two or three people fell out of the car, one of whom managed to hold onto the track. Photos and videos from the scene showed a man sitting on a beam under the derailed train. (RELATED: Multiple Injuries Reported On Six Flags Rollercoaster)
#EnVideo, Una persona murió y otras 14 resultaron heridas al descarrilar a varios metros de altura el vagón de una montaña rusa en un parque de atracciones Gröna Lund de Estocolmo, informó este domingo la televisión pública sueca SVT. pic.twitter.com/hnHSraElhR
— José Luis Morales (@JLMNoticias) June 25, 2023
Eriksson confirmed 14 people were riding the rollercoaster at the time of the incident. The park was promptly evacuated following the incident and will reportedly remain closed for seven days to allow investigators to determine the cause of the accident. Local authorities have launched a criminal investigation into the incident with potential charges including causing bodily harm, causing danger to others and involuntary manslaughter, the outlet noted.
“This should not be allowed to happen,” Gröna Lund spokesperson Annika Troselius said, according to the AP. “Safety is the most important thing for us. We would never open an attraction if we were not confident that it was safe, so we need to investigate this thoroughly.”
The rollercoaster involved, named Jetline, is 2,600-feet-long. It opened in 1988 and was last renovated in 2000. Jetline measures 98-feet in height at its maximum point and reaches a top speed of 56 mph, the AP reported.