© Reuters. Police officers work at the scene after a roller coaster accident at an amusement park, according to police, in Stockholm, Sweden, June 25, 2023. Claudio Bresciani/TT News Agency/via REUTERS
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By Marie Mannes
STOCKHOLM (Reuters) – One person was killed and nine injured, including children, in a roller coaster accident at Grona Lund amusement park in the Swedish capital on Sunday, a park official and police said.
Eyewitnesses said the park’s Jetline roller coaster partially derailed during a ride, sending people crashing to the ground.
“It is tragic and shocking, and unfortunately we have learned that one person has died,” Grona Lund spokeswoman Annika Troselius told public broadcaster SVT.
Ambulances, fire engines and a helicopter were seen arriving at the park and police have launched an investigation.
Police said nine people were being treated in hospital, three of whom were seriously injured.
Grona Lund said in a statement that the 140-year-old park was closed until further notice. A spokesperson could not immediately be reached for comment.
Jenny Lagerstedt, a reporter visiting the park with her family, told SVT she was nearby and heard a clanging noise and noticed the track structure was shaking at the time of the crash.
“My husband saw a roller coaster car with people inside fall to the ground,” Lagerstedt said.
“My kids were scared,” she added.
The steel-tracked Jetline roller coaster reaches speeds of up to 90 km per hour (56 mph) and heights of 30 meters (98 feet), carrying more than a million visitors each year, the park says. attractions on its website.
Swedish Culture Minister Parisa Liljestrand said news of the accident was incomprehensible.
“My thoughts are with those affected and their families and loved ones,” Liljestrand said in a statement to TT news agency.
