Australia: Four People Die After 'Malfunction' on Dreamworld Ride

Dreamworld Australia
Media gather at the Dreamworld theme park after four people were killed when a ride malfunctioned, Gold Coast, Australia, October 25. Dreamworld is one of Australia's biggest theme parks. TERTIUS PICKARD/AFP/Getty

A malfunctioning ride at a theme park in Australia killed four people Tuesday, according to police and park officials.

Four adults, two male and two female, died after sustaining injuries on the Thunder River Rapids ride at Dreamworld, located on the Gold Coast in the northeastern state of Queensland. The park is one of Australia's biggest theme parks and has been closed while an investigation is underway.

Dreamworld chief executive Craig Davidson said that the park was working with the police and emergency services to establish the facts of the incident. "We are deeply shocked and saddened by this [incident] and our hearts and our thoughts go to the families involved and to their loved ones," he said.

The park describes the Thunder River Rapids ride as an alternative to white water rafting, where riders move down an artificial river in circular floats traveling at speeds of up to 45 kilometers per hour (28 miles per hour).

A spokesman for Queensland Ambulance Service, Gavin Fuller, said that the ride had "sustained some sort of malfunctions" that had resulted in two people being ejected from the ride and two people caught inside.

Fuller said that the victims were aged from 32 to their early 40s.

Police spokesman Todd Reed said that a crime scene had been established at the park and that a forensic crash unit was involved in the investigation.

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Conor is a staff writer for Newsweek covering Africa, with a focus on Nigeria, security and conflict.

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