Stockholm rollercoaster crash: one killed and several injured in accident at amusement park in Sweden

One person has been killed and several others are injured after a rollercoaster derailed at an amusement park in Stockholm.

Officials at Grona Lund park in Sweden told broadcaster SVT that one of the carriages of the Jetline rollercoaster ride had come off the tracks and people had fallen to the ground. Police confirmed that one person died in the tragic accident on Sunday (25 June), and that seven people, including children, were admitted to hospital with injuries.

Visitors were evacuted from Grona Lund while rescuers removed passengers trapped in other carriages on the rollercoaster. The amusement park will remain closed until further notice, while police carry out an investigation.

“This is tragic and shocking, and regrettably we’ve learned that one person has died,” Grona Lund spokesperson Annika Troselius told public broadcaster SVT.

Meanwhile, SVT reporter Jenny Lagerstedt, who had been visiting the park and was standing in line for another ride, said she heard a “metallic thud” and then noticed the ride’s structure was shaking. “My husband saw a rollercoaster car with people in it falling to the ground,” she said. “My children were scared.”

According to the park’s website, the steel-tracked Jetline rollercoaster reaches speeds of up to 90km an hour (56mph) and a height of 30m (98 ft). It describes the Jetline as an “action-packed rollercoaster with heights and bends that cause riders to shriek with delight”, adding that one million people try the ride each season.

Currently, a black banner on the Grona Lund website reads: “A serious accident has taken place on the Jetline. We are working with the rescue services. The park is closed for now.”

Sweden’s Culture Minister Parisa Liljestrand said news of the accident was “incomprehensible.” In a statement to the TT news agency, she continued: “My thoughts are with those that were affected as well as their families and loved ones,”