No quick clarification of the cause of the roller coaster accident
Ten children, one teenager and 20 adults were injured in an amusement park in Bavaria. They suffered abrasions, bruises and whiplash.
Legoland reopened the day after the accident. View of the entrance of the amusement park.
Photo: Stefan Puchner (Keystone/DPA)
The investigation into the cause of the serious roller coaster accident with 31 injuries in the Legoland amusement park in Günzburg in southern Germany could take several months.
Police and prosecutor spokesmen said on Friday that the preparation of the accident report would probably take a few weeks or even months. Only then will there be clarity about the reason for the accident in the amusement park.
On Thursday afternoon, a train from the “Feuerdrache” roller coaster in the amusement park hit a train in front and injured 31 people – one of them seriously. On Friday, the local criminal police began investigating the train. For the on-site investigation, the operation of the railway was initially prohibited, explained police spokesman Dominic Geissler.
The “Feuerdrache” roller coaster travels at speeds of up to 29 km/h and has 20 seats each.
Photo: PD
“It is not yet foreseeable when the railway will be released again,” he said. A specialist consultant for roller coasters will also be involved. He will only be able to visit the facility in the Swabian park at the beginning of next week. Investigators also began interviewing witnesses to the accident. “There’s a lot of work to do for the Neu-Ulm police,” said Geissler.
According to the company, Legoland was reopened to normal on Friday. The “Land of Knights” area, where the roller coaster is located, remained closed. It was unclear on Friday when the railway last had the mandatory annual test.
“There are regular check-ups on all roller coasters and attractions,” said a spokeswoman. However, she did not give any further details. These still need to be clarified. A spokeswoman for the manufacturer of the affected roller coaster said the company would not be commenting on the accident for the time being.
Rescue helicopters can be seen in a field near Legoland.
Foto: Stefan Puchner (Keystone)
Ten children, one teenager and 20 adults were injured in the accident. According to the police, most suffered abrasions, bruises and, in some cases, whiplash injuries. The seriously injured man has a stomach injury and will probably have to stay in the hospital for a few days, but his injuries are not life-threatening.
Preliminary is determined because of the allegation of negligent bodily harm. So far, according to the police, there are no specific suspects.
Only last Saturday there was a serious roller coaster accident in Rhineland-Palatinate. In the amusement park in Klotten on the Moselle, a 57-year-old woman fell from a moving train and died. The local roller coaster then initially also stopped. The authorities ordered that the TÜV first had to check the safety of the system.
SDA/AFP/step/oli
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