On Sunday, a tragedy occurred at Gröna Lund park, the oldest amusement park in Sweden, when a roller coaster partially derailed, causing one death and sending nine people, including three children, to the hospital.
Witnesses reported seeing the front of the train suddenly jump off the tracks, and passengers were thrown from the car. One adult was in serious condition, while the children only suffered minor injuries.
According to Jan Eriksson, the park’s chief executive, the derailed car was suspended between 6 and 8 meters (20 and 25 feet) off the ground and had 14 people onboard. He referred to the day as one of mourning.
Photos of the scene showed a man straddling a beam below the stopped train, while another witness reported hearing a metallic noise and seeing the tracks shaking during the accident.
Jenny Lagerstedt, a journalist at the park with her family at the time, said her husband saw a car with people in it fall to the ground. Her children were scared.
Authorities have initiated a criminal investigation into the incident, and the park will be closed for seven days as investigators look into the cause of the accident.
The roller coaster, which opened in 1988 and was renovated in 2000, is 2,600 feet long and reaches a height of 98 feet, with the potential to travel as fast as 56 mph.