One killed, several injured in roller coaster accident in Sweden

Police officers work at the scene after a roller coaster accident took place at an amusement park, according to the police, in Stockholm, Sweden, June 25, 2023. Claudio Bresciani/TT News Agency/via REUTERS

STOCKHOLM (Reuters) -One person was killed and several injured in a roller coaster accident at the Grona Lund amusement park in the Swedish capital on Sunday, the TT news agency reported, citing a park spokesperson.

Public broadcaster SVT, citing eyewitnesses, said the park's Jetline roller coaster had partly derailed during a ride.

Ambulances, fire trucks and a helicopter were seen arriving at the park, and police said they were investigating.

"We are emptying the park and we've started our investigation," a police spokesperson said.

Grona Lund said in a statement the 140-year-old park was closed until further notice. A spokesperson could not immediately be reached for comment.

Jenny Lagerstedt, a journalist visiting the park with her family, told SVT she was nearby and heard a metallic noise and noticed the track structure was shaking at the time of the accident.

"My husband saw a roller coaster car with people in it falling to the ground," Lagerstedt said.

"My children were scared," she added.

The steel-tracked Jetline roller coaster reaches a speed of up to 90 kilometres per hour (56 mph) and a height of 30 metres (98 feet), transporting more than one million visitors each year, the amusement park says on its website.

(Reporting by Marie Mannes in Stockholm, writing by Terje SolsvikEditing by David Goodman, Frances Kerry and Giles Elgood)