Nine children and two adults have been injured after a rollercoaster crashed off the rails at a theme park in North Lanarkshire.
Police said they are all being treated at local hospitals.
Six ambulances and six fire engines are at the M&D's park near Strathclyde Park in Motherwell after being called at 15:37.
A number of specialist officers are also at the park, which has been evacuated.
An eyewitness said: "People were trapped upside down on the ride."
Emergency services said the incident involving the Tsunami ride was ongoing.
FAYE DONNELLY
DEMI CAMPBELL
'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.
She said: "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."
DEMI CAMPBELL
M&D'S
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&Ds 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."
No comments:
Post a Comment