‘One dead’ in Swedish rollercoaster accident while several are reported injured after ride which goes up to 56mph ‘derailed’
- Grona Lund amusement park in Stockholm, Sweden, closed until further notice
One person has been killed and several others are reported injured after a Swedish rollercoaster that goes up to 56mph ‘derailed’.
The horrifying incident took place on the Jetline rollercoaster in Stockholm’s 140-year-old Grona Lund amusement park.
Ambulances, fire trucks and a helicopter were seen arriving at the park, and police said they were investigating. Further footage showed medics urgently rushing a stretcher through the amusement park.
‘We are emptying the park and we’ve started our investigation,’ a police spokesperson said.
The steel-tracked Jetline rollercoaster reaches a speed of up to 56mph and a height of 98 feet, transporting more than one million visitors each year, the amusement park says on its website.
It is described as ‘a classic roller coaster full of steep slopes and sharp curves’.
The horrifying accident took place on the Jetline rollercoaster in Stockholm’s Grona Lund (pictured) amusement park
The steel-tracked Jetline rollercoaster (pictured) reaches a speed of up to 56 mph and a height of 98 feet
Further footage showed medics urgently rushing a stretcher through the amusement park
A fire engine is parked in front of the entrance of the Grona Lund amusement park in Stockholm
Police (pictured outside the amusement park) said they were still investigating the incident
An air ambulance was dispatched to the scene. One person has died while others were injured
A black banner on the park’s website reads: ‘A serious accident has taken place on the Jetline. We are working with the rescue services. The park is closed for now.’ Pictured: The Jetline rollercoaster in 2014
Witnesses told public broadcaster SVT that the ride had partly derailed.
Jenny Lagerstedt, a journalist visiting the park with her family, told SVT she was nearby and heard a metallic noise and noticed the track structure was shaking at the time of the accident.
‘My husband saw a roller coaster car with people in it falling to the ground,’ Lagerstedt said.
‘My children were scared,’ she added.
A black banner on the park’s website reads: ‘A serious accident has taken place on the Jetline. We are working with the rescue services. The park is closed for now.’
Cornelia, who had just been on the ride with her son, told the local press that people started running, adding: ‘There was a lot of screaming. No one knew what was going on.’
Swedish publication Expressen quoted a police officer at the amusement park as saying several people had fallen off the ride and got stuck, while others were found on the floor.
They also spoke to Yasin Chaudry who was queuing for another ride nearby when he started to see the wheels come off.
The witness said that two people fell out while another fell on them before the rollercoaster stopped.
The whole of Grona Lund was evacuated and an air ambulance was dispatched to the scene.