This article is from the source 'nytimes' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.

You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.nytimes.com/2016/10/26/world/australia/dreamworld-theme-park-accident-gold-coast.html

The article has changed 9 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.

Version 4 Version 5
Dreamworld Theme Park Accident Kills 4, Australian Officials Say Dreamworld Theme Park Accident Kills 4, Australian Officials Say
(about 3 hours later)
Four people were killed on Tuesday in an accident on a ride at an Australian theme park, officials said. Sydney — Four people were killed on Tuesday when a raft in an amusement park’s white-water attraction flipped over, trapping them in the ride’s machinery, the authorities said.
The accident occurred at Dreamworld, in the Gold Coast metropolitan area in the state of Queensland. Dreamworld’s chief executive, Craig Davidson, said at a news conference that the four people, all adults, had been killed on the Thunder River Rapids Ride around 2:20 p.m. Two young girls who were riding with the four adults — two women and two men — managed to free themselves and survived, according to the police.
The company describes the ride on its website as a “white water rafting” adventure in which riders reach speeds of up to 28 miles an hour. The accident occurred at Dreamworld, a theme park in Queensland, on an adventure ride known as the Thunder River Rapids ride.
Gavin Fuller, a spokesman for the Queensland Ambulance Service, said at the news conference that there had been “some sort of malfunction causing two people to be ejected” from the ride. The two other victims were “caught inside the ride,” he said. The four adults, who were in their thirties and forties, and the two girls, 10 and 13, were in a raft when it flipped over at the end of the ride, Assistant Commissioner Brian Codd of the Queensland Police said at a news conference.
Mr. Fuller said members of the park’s staff gave the victims first aid before paramedics arrived. The raft fell on top of the group, trapping them.
The Queensland Police Service said in a statement that officers had been called to the scene after reports that “a number of people had been injured by a conveyor belt.” Assistant Commissioner Codd said it was unclear how the two girls had managed to escape. “It seems from what I have seen it is almost a miracle that anybody came out of that,” he said.
Tod Reid, a Queensland police inspector, said that an investigation was underway and that two women, ages 42 and 32, and two men, 38 and 35, had been killed on the ride. The theme park is one of a cluster of parks at the northern end of the Queensland Gold Coast, which attracts millions of people every year. Dreamworld will remain closed while the police continue their investigation, Assistant Commissioner Codd said.
Dreamworld said that the park would remain closed until further notice and that it was working with the authorities to determine what had happened. In a statement issued on Tuesday, Ardent Leisure Group, the company that owns the park, said it was working with the authorities to determine what had happened. “Our immediate concern now is to support the families of the victims and to provide appropriate counseling to our visitors and staff,” the company said.
“Our immediate concern now is to support the families of the victims and to provide appropriate counseling to our visitors and staff,” the company said in a statement. Assistant Commissioner Codd said investigators and engineers would examine the ride’s circuitry, the company’s policies, maintenance schedules and how the ride was constructed and how it is operated.
Dreamworld, described in the news media as the country’s most popular theme park, is one of a number of theme parks clustered at the northern end of the Gold Coast that help draw visitors to the area. Dreamworld says it attracts about 1.8 million guests a year. “If there is negligence that warrants being pursued then we will do that,” he said.
The prime minister of Australia, Malcolm Turnbull, said in a statement on Tuesday that he was saddened to learn of the accident. The police declined to make public the names of the victims until their next of kin had been informed.
“Theme parks are a place for family fun and happiness, not tragedy,” Mr. Turnbull said. “This is a very, very, sad, tragic event. Our thoughts and prayers are with the families of those who lost their lives.” Dreamworld, about 35 miles south of Brisbane, has a history of serious accidents. In June 2009, a helicopter operated by a contractor and carrying four passengers crashed into the parking lot while trying to land. Two of the passengers were seriously injured. An investigation by the Australian Transport Safety Bureau determined that the pilot had taken off without sufficient fuel.
Dreamworld, about 35 miles south of Brisbane, has a history of serious accidents. In June 2009, a helicopter operated by a contractor and carrying four passengers crashed into the parking lot while trying to land, and two of the passengers were seriously injured. An investigation by the Australian Transport Safety Bureau found that the pilot had taken off without sufficient fuel. Two tiger handlers were hospitalized twice in 2011 after being bitten by a Bengal tiger, according to news outlets. And in April, local media reported, a man was thrown from a log ride. He was taken to a hospital to be treated for cuts to his face.
Two tiger handlers were hospitalized on two separate occasions in 2011, after being bitten by a Bengal tiger, according to news reports. And in April, reports said, a man was thrown from a log ride and taken to a hospital to be treated for cuts to his face.