27 Jun 2016

Ten hurt in rollercoaster crash at theme park

7:09 am on 27 June 2016

Eight children and two adults have been injured after a rollercoaster carriage derailed at a theme park in Scotland.

Nine children and two adults have been injured when a rollercoaster carriage derailed at a theme park in Scotland.

An eyewitness said people were trapped upside down in the carriage after it derailed and fell onto a children's ride below. Photo: TWITTER / @_demicampbell

The carriage with 10 people on board fell about 10 metres onto a children's ride below, at the M&D's theme park in Motherwell.

Lanarkshire Police said the injured were being treated in local hospitals, and emergency services said the incident involving the Tsunami ride was ongoing.

A number of specialist officers were also at the park, which hads been evacuated.

An eyewitness said: "People were trapped upside down on the ride."

'People were crying with shock'

Caitlin Barnes, 13, had been on the ride twice during a day out to the park with three friends. She was standing nearby when it crashed.

"I heard first of all a loud bang. At first I thought it was part of the ride because it had been a very loud ride the whole day.

"But when I turned around to look at it I saw the carriage just hurtling to the ground and then it crashed on top of another ride.

"I could see that there was lots of people trapped - probably up to 10 - and I saw a girl upside down, stuck.

"A lot of people in the park ran over and tried to help and there was loads of people just running about trying to tell people to call ambulances and call emergency services.

"When the emergency services got here they were just shouting at us all to leave the park and they evacuated the whole park and cordoned off around the carriage.

"I saw one boy who was probably about 11 I would have said who got out and he was sitting just next to it - shocked obviously - with his parents.

"Everybody was shocked and upset and a lot of them were crying with shock."

According to the M&D's website, the Tsunami rollercoaster can go at speeds of up to 40mph through corkscrew turns and loops.

Children under 10 are not allowed to use the ride, and under 14s must be accompanied by a paying adult.

Eyewitness Katie Burns said she had just finished riding the Tsunami and was walking past when the carriage crashed with children on board.

On Facebook, she said: "Literally got off the Tsunami at M&D's and then walking past and the next lot of people get on and the full thing goes off the tracks.

"Honestly never been so scared in my life, with this weather they should not be on.

"Kids and adults are still on it upside down, it's like something out a horror film, children crying and everything.

"Literally can't believe this, my heart goes out to everyone on it, a full load came off the track and on the pavement, like a horror film worse thing ever heard and seen, can't get over this."

-BBC / Reuters