Society

Dislocated cabin blamed for Shenzhen amusement park accident

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2010-07-08 14:35

SHENZHEN -?A dislocated cabin on an amusement park "rocket ship" ride caused an accident that left six people dead and 10 injured in south China last week, investigators said Thursday.

The No. 5 cabin of the 12-cabin "Space Journey" ride became unstable, dislocated and fell to the ground while being elevated and spinning at high speed on June 29, said a spokesman from the publicity department of Yantian District, Shenzhen.

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Three other cabins hit the No. 5 cabin and crashed on to a platform. Each cabin had four passengers. The initial results were based on the analysis of the machine's data recorder and tests at the scene.

Investigators were trying to identify the cause of the cabin's dislocation, the spokesman said.

More experts were being recruited to the joint investigation team of police and safety, market, tourism inspection and other authorities, he said.

The ride at the Overseas Chinese Town East (OCT East) amusement park simulates a rocket launch with the passengers experiencing double gravity.

A total of 11 people, including equipment operators, maintenance workers and managers of the equipment supplier and amusement park, were being questioned by police, the Shenzhen city authorities announced Wednesday.

The OCT East amusement park covers an area of 9 square km and is operated by OCT Enterprises Co., a state-owned company involved in real estate and hotel development, tourism, and electronics manufacturing.