At least one person is dead and sixty others have been injured after a tourist attraction at a famous beauty spot in China malfunctioned.
The Detian waterfall in Southern China contains an attraction known as the ‘Magic Carpet’ ride, which allows visitors to sit on a conveyor belt which allows them to take in the scenic view as it transports them uphill.
But at 1.56pm on Saturday the ride suddenly started moving backwards and sent passengers tumbling downhill, crashing into eachother and causing a crowd crush.
A witness, who claimed on a social media platform that she was riding the Magic Carpet at the time of the incident, told the Global Times that the carpet was transporting people upwards at the time of the crash, with each person sitting around 2ft apart.
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She said: ‘It suddenly stopped and started sliding down. The crowd in front and behind collided due to inertia and piled up together. The safety panels on both sides were also broken at that time.’
Another witness at the scene told the Beijing News he heard many people screaming at the time of the accident. People were stuck but the ride kept running, resulting in some people having the skin ripped from their arms.
Chinese media outlet the Red Star News reported on Sunday that a tourist who also had taken the carpet just prior to the accident said that although the ride had staff members on-site to remind tourists not to stand or lie down on the carpet, there were no safety belts or other protective measures next to where the tourists were sitting.
One person died during the incident and another was severely injured, according to local authorities. The other 59 passengers were said to have suffered a variety of minor injuries.
The Detian Waterfall Scenic Area announced its temporary closure starting on August 11 for equipment inspection and repairs. Visitors with online ticket bookings will receive full refunds through the original purchase platform.
According to reports, the Magic Carpet malfunctioned once before in January 2023. During that incident the carpet belt descended rapidly, forcing many tourists to walk up the mountain.
The accident resulted in injuries to some people on site without serious issues, and the ride was repaired within two hours, with normal operations resuming later that same day.
Detian Waterfall is a large transnational waterfall on the border between China and Vietnam. It is one of the most beautiful and well-known waterfalls in this region. Detian Waterfall is known for its stunning natural beauty and is a popular tourist destination for visitors to both countries.
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