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Australian theme park accident leaves 4 dead

Tuesday, 25 October 2016 10:57 AM [ Last Update: Tuesday, 25 October 2016 11:02 AM ]

A police officer stands in front of the Dreamworld theme park on Australia's Gold Coast where a raft flipped on a malfunctioning water ride and killed four people on October 25, 2016. (Photo by AFP)

It has been a tragic day at Dreamworld theme park on Australia's Gold Coast. What was meant to be a time of fun and entertainment took a deadly turn.

Four people, two men and two women, lost their lives on the Thunder River Rapids ride at the park.

Park officials say a "malfunction" caused two people to be thrown from the ride, while two others were trapped inside. The victims were aged between 30 and 40.

Police were called to the scene following reports that one of the six-seat Tyre-style carriages had flipped on the conveyor belt.

Dreamworld was closed following the incident. The park says it is working closely with police, emergency services and authorities to investigate the incident.

Part of a a statement released by the park read, "Dreamworld is working as quickly as possible to establish the facts around the incident and is working closely with emergency authorities and police to do this. Dreamworld’s focus and priority is with the families of those involved in this tragedy and will be providing an update to the public as soon as information becomes available."

Dreamworld bills itself as Australia's biggest theme park with more than 50 rides and attractions.

The incident comes about six months after a near-drowning on Dreamworld's popular log ride. Back in April, a man fell out of the ride and was treated by the theme park's medical staff after he swallowed water and suffered head cuts.

Other tragic incidents at amusement parks around the world include eight teenagers killed in a 1984 fire at the Six Flags Great Adventure amusement park in New Jersey, US; six people killed by a failed simulated rocket launch in Shenzhen, China, in 2010 and five children killed when the Battersea Park Big Dipper malfunctioned in Britain in 1972.

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