Footage has captured the horrifying moment a theme park ride snapped in half and came crashing to the ground.
At least 23 people are injured, three of them critically, after the ‘360 Degrees’ ride at Green Mountain Park in Taif, Saudi Arabia, malfunctioned earlier today.
Passersby heard a cracking sound shortly before the disaster.
The central pole of the ride snapped midway through operation with several people on board, sending riders crashing to the ground.
While those still sat as the ride fell were hurt, the safety harnesses reportedly remained intact for the most part.
The snapped pole then recoiled quickly, eyewitnesses said, throwing two or three people in opposite directions while the rest of the riders remained trapped in their seats.
Rescue teams responded quickly, providing first aid before victims could be transferred to hospital.
Local authorities have launched a formal investigation into the cause of the mechanical failure.
The area around the amusement park ride has been cordoned off, and it is understood operations at Green Mountain Park have been temporarily suspended.
It’s only been a few days since an 18-year-old woman suffered ‘life-changing’ injuries after her hair got caught in a funfair ride.
She was visiting the Netley Marsh Steam and Craft Show in Hampshire when she fell over onto the oscillating floor section of a Fun House.
And in April, a teenage boy was injured at a theme park in Indonesia when his harness unbuckled, throwing him from his seat and leaving him clinging to the chair for safety.
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