Two dead as parents and children fly off a 770ft-long slide at high speeds and slam to the ground after safety equipment failed at a Chinese park
- Twelve people including six minors were hurt in the incident in Sichuan on May 1
- They fell off a giant slide built on a steep hill at the Children's Yard attraction
- The park has been closed and the person in charge has been detained by police
Two people were killed and 12 others including six children were injured after flying off a slide at a popular theme park in south-west China.
The accident happened yesterday at the Children's Yard amusement park in Taiping, Sichuan province, local authorities said.
The 14 visitors fell off a 235-metre (770-feet) -long slide at high speeds and landed on the ground at around 5pm after the ride's safety equipment failed.
Two people were killed and 12 others including six children were injured after flying off a slide at a theme park yesterday afternoon in Sichuan, south-west China
Horrifying footage of the accident's aftermath shows children and parents sprawled on the ground near the slide as firefighters and paramedics tend to them
The theme park boasted 32 slides of various sizes, according to Xinhua News Agency
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The accident occurred on the first day of the Labour Day holiday when many parents would take their children on spring outings.
Horrifying footage of the accident's aftermath shows children and parents sprawled on the ground near the slide as firefighters and paramedics tend to them.
'The 14 tourists flew out of the slide's protection facilities,' a statement issued by the Taiping government said.
The park had been closed and the person in charge of the business had been detained by police, it added.
'The 14 tourists flew out of the slide's protection facilities,' a government statement said
Those injured, including six adults and six children, were immediately taken to hospital
The park had been closed and the person in charge had been detained by police
Those injured, including six adults and six children, were immediately taken to hospital and were receiving treatment.
One witness, surnamed Su, told cqnews.net that the ride was really tall. Visitors slide down the steep hill while sitting on rubber lifebuoys.
'I was lining up for the ride with my six-year-old son when the accident happened. I heard people screaming and saw several people flying off the slide,' she said.
Another witness said that it had been raining on the day of the accident and thought the ride might have been running faster than normal.
One witness, surnamed Su, told cqnews.net that the slide (pictured) was really tall
Visitors ride the slide down the steep hill while sitting on rubber life buoys (file photos)
The theme park boasted 32 slides of various sizes, according to Xinhua.
In a notice posted on WeChat today, the park said it was closed for upgrading but did not mention the accident.
Wednesday's incident was not the first at the park.
Just two days after it opened in July 2017, three people were injured when a rope walkway they were on collapsed, Xinhua reported.
