Stockholm
Roller coaster derailed: one dead and nine injured
The police cordon off the amusement park “Gröna Lund” after the accident. photo
© Claudio Bresciani/TT News Agency/AP
It is the oldest and one of the most popular amusement parks in Sweden: “Gröna Lund” attracts well over a million visitors every year. Now a fatal accident has shocked operators and guests alike.
One person died after falling from a roller coaster several meters high in a Swedish amusement park. In addition, because of the incident in the well-known facility “Gröna Lund” in the capital Stockholm, nine children and adults were treated in clinics, the police said. Three of them were seriously injured.
As the park operator announced, the first car on the “Jetline” roller coaster derailed and got stuck for reasons that are still unclear. Then people fell down. A spokeswoman for the Stockholm fire brigade said two people were lying on the ground when the rescue workers arrived after a few minutes. Five people were trapped and had to be rescued from a height.
A total of 14 people were in the car. It had previously been said that 14 people had been injured. Initial reports that a whole car had crashed were not confirmed either.
Park cleared after the incident
“Today is a day of mourning in Gröna Lund, our thoughts are with the relatives and those affected,” said the head of the amusement park, Jan Eriksson. “We are supporting the police in their investigation and are also beginning our own investigation.” The park emphasized that the security of all facilities is checked daily. In addition, there are independent and in-house controls at regular intervals.
“Gröna Lund” near the Vasa Museum was evacuated after the incident to facilitate rescue work. Even a helicopter was on duty. The park will now remain closed for at least a week.
Other sites of the same operator remain open, as a spokeswoman emphasized. It is not the first incident at a Parks and Resorts operation in recent times. In December 2022, four chimpanzees escaped from an enclosure at Furuvik Zoo, about a two-hour drive north of Stockholm. Three monkeys were shot for safety reasons, and a fourth succumbed to his injuries.
Up to 90 kilometers per hour
According to the park, the “Jetline” roller coaster races at up to 90 kilometers per hour over a course that is 800 meters long and up to 30 meters high. It was put into operation in 1988 and renovated in 2000.
“Gröna Lund” on Stockholm’s Djurgarden Peninsula was founded in 1883 by a German. It is the oldest and one of the most popular amusement parks in Sweden. More than a million visitors come to the 3.8-hectare site every year. There are not only rides, but also theaters and stages where world-famous artists such as Abba, Bob Marley and Lady Gaga have performed. At the end of 1985, the park was partially destroyed in a major fire, but was rebuilt soon after.