BEIJING: A roller coaster ride accident that left 28 people injured on Friday at a theme park in Shenzhen, Guangdong province, was caused by a malfunction, the city said in a report on Sunday.
The train on the Snowy Eagle roller coaster was making its way up the track before it slid back and crashed into another that was unloading passengers behind it at Happy Valley Shenzhen, a popular theme park.
According to the report by the safety management committee of Shenzhen’s Nanshan district, the collision happened at around 6:27 pm on Friday. Eight injured people were quickly transported to hospital, and 20 more people received medical treatment over the weekend.
As of Sunday, 17 people remained hospitalized, including four who required extra attention in intensive care and 13 in regular wards, but “their conditions are currently stable without any life-threatening risks”, the report said, adding that relevant department officials have visited the injured to express their condolences and offer support.
Preliminary investigations found that the train, which had a maximum capacity of 24 passengers, was carrying 22 when it slid back and collided with the other, which was unloading passengers at the time and had nine that were still on board when it was hit.
On Saturday, the University of Hong Kong-Shenzhen Hospital confirmed with China Daily that it received multiple injured individuals from the Snowy Eagle accident. Due to the urgent nature of their conditions, the emergency ward prioritized their treatment, resulting in a waiting time of approximately four hours for those seeking medical attention at the hospital. –The Daily Mail-China Daily news exchange item
