Warning: Distressing Content
EastA 19-year-old woman has died after a theme park ride broke apart in mid-air and sent passengers falling to the ground.
The teen was at Istiklol amusement park in Uzbekistan when she got on the giant ride which flung thrill-seekers high into the air on a 360-degree swing.
Shocking footage shows ride swinging around but snapping in half before it reached the top, sending the circular section which held the passengers falling down metres and crashing to the ground.
Watch the terrifying moment below:
K im not going to theme parks now pic.twitter.com/6t8n9E3B6M
— I J (@ijeeezy) July 3, 2019
The swing had a metal pendulum arm with a counterweight used to balance the giant open-air platform which held the riders. The passengers appeared to be sitting on the outside of the ride, suggesting the huge structure would have fallen on top of them when it broke.
Uzbek authorities have said the 19-year-old female rider, identified only by her initials MH, was killed though they have not specified if there were injuries to other riders.
It’s unclear whether the theme park closed following the disaster. The owners of Istiklol are yet to issue a statement regarding the reasons behind the crash.
East2WestSputnik News report the press service of the administration of the region released a statement on the incident, simply saying:
As a result of the crash of the ‘Flying Saucer’ attraction, a girl, born in 1999, died at the scene of the incident.
The funfair is located on the bank of the River Sanzar in Jizzakh, a city in ex-Soviet state Uzbekistan, 125 miles south-west of capital city Tashkent. The city was a key staging post on the old Silk Road.
Our thoughts are with those who suffered as a result of the tragic event.
If you have experienced a bereavement and would like to speak with someone in confidence contact Cruse Bereavement Care via their national helpline on 0808 808 1677.
Emily Brown first began delivering important news stories aged just 13, when she launched her career with a paper round. She graduated with a BA Hons in English Language in the Media from Lancaster University, and went on to become a freelance writer and blogger. Emily contributed to The Sunday Times Travel Magazine and Student Problems before becoming a journalist at UNILAD, where she works on breaking news as well as longer form features.