NationStates Jolt Archive

STOCKHOLM, Sweden (AP) -- Swedish officials say a theme park ride has collapsed in a city in western Sweden, injuring 30 people.

However, SOS Alarm rescue service spokeswoman Monica Grandin says no one has received life-threatening injuries after the Rainbow ride collapsed at the Liseberg theme park in Goteborg.

She says a total of 30 people had been taken to hospital with injuries ranging from bone fractures to shock.

Goteborg police spokeswoman Malin Sahlstrom says some people were thrown out of the ride and squeezed as the seating platform tipped to one side, .

She says 36 people were aboard the ride when it collapsed and that the National Board of Accident Investigation will start a probe.

The Liseberg manager on duty, Peter Andersson, said it appeared the accident was caused by a malfunctioned ball bearing.

"As far as I know it is a ball bearing that has slipped out of its holding," he said.

Andersson said the attraction had been through a security checkup in the spring when no faults were discovered.
Liseberg is a popular tourist destination in Sweden and the biggest fun fair park in the Nordic region, with more than 30 different rides.

It really is amazing that, given the complexity of ride systems in theme parks today, we don't see more incidents like this. We've seen small scale accidents, often due to opperator error and the like, but I can't recall a full-scale collapse in a very long time. It will be interesting to see if it was, in fact, a ball bearing.

http://www.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/europe/07/15/sweden.accident.ap/index.html

The last crazy one I heard about I think was when a cable on some ride snapped and severed off the feet of a rider.

I remember reading somewhere about a kid who got decapitated when he jumped the fences to get his hat that blew off his head.

a full structural collapse? man that's harsh. glad no one was seriously or fatally injured.

It is a road its called a rainbow road, it is a road that you go.. It is a road its called a rainbow road, and you will knowww, when you get there....

I remember reading somewhere about a kid who got decapitated when he jumped the fences to get his hat that blew off his head.

a full structural collapse? man that's harsh. glad no one was seriously or fatally injured.
Yeah, that was on the news pretty recently. My area had a long trail of them (which have mysteriously disappeared from the wiki page since the park was sold...hmmm), including a maintenance man getting decapitated while doing repairs. These were blamed on the park being "haunted" (it's on an old Indian site).

Other than that, I think the only ones that I really remember are a few that have occured at Disney parks...it's pretty rare that they make national or international news, which kinda goes to show just how rare this kinda thing is

Yeah, that was on the news pretty recently. My area had a long trail of them (which have mysteriously disappeared from the wiki page since the park was sold...hmmm), including a maintenance man getting decapitated while doing repairs. These were blamed on the park being "haunted" (it's on an old Indian site).

Other than that, I think the only ones that I really remember are a few that have occured at Disney parks...it's pretty rare that they make national or international news, which kinda goes to show just how rare this kinda thing is

Our local 50th state fair made me swear off of rides.

Ever want to 'enhance' the adrenaline rush of those rides? watch them put it together. then ask the park security if you can walk the grounds hours before they open and see how many cotterpins you can pick up off of the ground.

granted we had very little by way of structual failures... but just looking at the sheer number of cotterpins that my co-worker collects each day of the fair... *shudder*

Our local 50th state fair made me swear off of rides.

Ever want to 'enhance' the adrenaline rush of those rides? watch them put it together. then ask the park security if you can walk the grounds hours before they open and see how many cotterpins you can pick up off of the ground.

granted we had very little by way of structual failures... but just looking at the sheer number of cotterpins that my co-worker collects each day of the fair... *shudder*

Years back, a gravitron wall blew out and killed a bunch of people...my mom never let us go on the rides again. Frankly, I don't disagree with her. Those things are poorly maintained and have very little regulation

the big 'ride incident' that happened in my area was that at Six Flags Great America after the Raging bull was opened one girl died.

It turned out that she choked to death on a piece of gum. But that caused a whole huge investigation on the entire park which as to be about four or five square miles if not bigger.

Does anyone remember when Fabio got hit by a bird at Busch Gardens? I think it hurt his face pretty badly.

I can't remember the last time I even went to a theme park I mean their so boring and well...a bunch of thieving gypsies

I think the only ones that I really remember are a few that have occured at Disney parks

surely the security would quickly liquidate any witnesses and family?

More than 30 different rides? Jebus, we call those carnivals here. Any amusement park will have far more than that. Even the rinky-dink ones here in Indiana.

I can't remember the last time I even went to a theme park I mean their so boring and well...a bunch of thieving gypsies



surely the security would quickly liquidate any witnesses and family?
Sadly for my stocks, no. The accidents are quickly reported. Those in the Magic Kingdom park, however, are quickly moved to the utlidors under the park
More than 30 different rides? Jebus, we call those carnivals here. Any amusement park will have far more than that. Even the rinky-dink ones here in Indiana.

Surprisingly, that is more than many US theme and amusement parks hold. Disneyland in CA has 57 attractions, the most of any Disney-owned park. It is rare for a park to get that many rides.

the big 'ride incident' that happened in my area was that at Six Flags Great America after the Raging bull was opened one girl died.

It turned out that she choked to death on a piece of gum. But that caused a whole huge investigation on the entire park which as to be about four or five square miles if not bigger.

i thought it eventually turned out that she had a heart condition of some sort.

I worked at a theme park to pay for college. They ran the rides all day and inspected everything all night. Seemed to be quite thorough about it, too.

I remember a Rainbow ride at Myrtle Beach, man that sun in the middle was creepy looking when I was little...

I was actually one of the evil carnies at the games booths :D Yup, I was worse for a kid's allowance than an indian casino for a geezer's social security check!

Actually, our games weren't rigged, just hard to win. ;)