3 dead, 2 injured in Erbil rollercoaster accident

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region – Three people have been killed and two injured in a rollercoaster accident at Majidi Land amusement park in Erbil on Wednesday night. Three people have been detained in connection with the incident.

At 11:00 P.M. on Wednesday, a crane next to the park’s rollercoaster collapsed onto the ride’s first two cars.

 

 

Scene of the accident at Majidi Land amusement park in Erbil Wednesday night. Photo: Rudaw

“Sadly, it is a heartbreaking incident. It is apparent than when the rollercoaster was started only the first two cars seem to have been occupied,” Nawzad Hadi, the governor of Erbil, told Rudaw.

The governor said the three people detained have been charged with negligence. Hogir Aziz, spokesperson for Erbil’s policy, confirmed three individuals had been detained. Two of them are Turks.

The two Turks were from a subcontracting company tasked with maintaining the ride’s lighting. The third individual was a Kurd who operated the rollercoaster. Detailed investigations are underway.