30 Biggest Theme Park Tragedies From Around The World

The Big Dipper accident

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Theme parks are a great source of entertainment for friends, families and thrill-seekers, however there have been times that this source of joy has been tainted, by unthinkable tragedies. One of the earliest recorded accidents, is the Big Dipper accident that occurred at Krug Park, Nebraska, in 1928. A rollercoaster derailed, which resulted in four deaths and various injuries!

Coney Island fire

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During 1941, a fire broke out at Luna Park, Coney Island (New York), which resulted in five deaths. The fire also destroyed a large portion of the park, and left people shocked and disorientated. It took several years for the park to be restored and completely renovated.

Aerojet accident

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The Aerojet was a ride at Hersheypark, Pennsylvania, which became a source of tragedy in 1967. One of the ride's cars derailed, resulting in one death, and a multitude of other injuries. The ride was closed shortly after, and was left in a state of disrepair.

Ghost Train fire

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Luna Park, located in Sydney, Australia, experienced tragedy in 1979. A fire broke out on the park's Ghost Train ride, which killed six children and one adult. Patrons of the park were left shocked and disturbed, and the ride was closed shortly after the event.

Space Journey accident

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Space Journey is one of the most famous rides at Six Flags Great Adventure, located in New Jersey, and it became a source of tragedy in 1984. One of the ride's cables snapped, which led to eight people being injured. Fortunately, there were no deaths reported, but it was still a traumatic event.

Haunting Castle disaster

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Theme park tragedies have occurred all over the world, and China's Happy Valley Amusement Park is no exception. The park's Haunting Castle caught fire in 1989, which led to the death of 39 people, and injured many more. The event left park officials and patrons visibly shaken.

Thunder River Rapids Ride accident

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During 2016, the Thunder River Rapids Ride in Australia's Dreamworld theme park, malfunctioned and led to four people being killed. It is unclear what caused the malfunction, but it is believed to have been something internally, located within the ride's controls.

Europa-Park fire

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Europa-Park, located in Germany, experienced a large fire during 2018. The fire destroyed a large portion of the park, leaving many rides and attractions in disrepair. Fortunately, no fatalities/injuries were reported, however the park had to organize some major renovations.

Oklahoma State Fair accident

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A ride at the Oklahoma State Fair malfunctioned during 2017, which resulted in the death of one person, and injuries for many others. The source of the malfunction was unknown, and it was believed to have occurred within the ride's internal operating system.

Roller Coaster crash

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M&D's Scotland themed park experienced tragedy during 2016, after one of its rollercoasters had a collision, which led to the injury of several people. Luckily, there were no major fatalities reported, but some of the injuries were pretty serious and required hospitalization.

Battersea Fun Fair explosion

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During 1972, an explosion occurred at the Battersea Fun Fair (London), which led to the death of 31 people, and went on to injure many more. It's unclear what caused the explosion, and it was the biggest (and only) tragedy the park had ever experienced since its initial opening.

Big Thunder Mountain Railroad accident

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Disneyland Paris (France) experienced tragedy, after its Big Thunder Mountain Railroad became derailed in 2003. The ride's derailment caused the death of five people, and led to many more being severely injured. This is one of the many accidents that have happened within a Disneyland theme park.

Space Mountain accident

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Another Disneyland accident occurred during 1980, when the famous Space Mountain ride experienced a malfunction. This particular event unfolded at California's Disneyland park. The malfunction led to one death, several other injuries and left other patrons of the park shocked.

Superman: Tower Of Power accident

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During 2007, the Superman: Tower Of Power ride (located at Six Flags Kentucky Kingdom) experienced a horrendous event, after one of its cables snapped. The snapped cable caused the ride to plummet, and sever a teenager's feet! This was one of the most distressing tragedies the park experienced.

The Mindbender accident

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Galaxyland Amusement Park, located in Canada experienced tragedy, after its Mindbender rollercoaster derailed in 1986. The derailed coaster caused the death of three people, and left multiple other injured. It is unclear what caused the derailment, and it was a distressing event for everyone involved.

Six Flags Great Adventure fire

Image Source: Wikipedia

Another tragedy to add to Six Flags' list, is the fire that broke out during 1984. This fire affected Six Flags Great Adventure in New Jersey, and caused significant damage to a large area of the park. Fortunately, no fatalities or severe injuries were reported.

Smiler accident

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During 2015, Alton Towers in the UK became the source of tragedy, after its Smiler rollercoaster experienced a collision. The collision led to several life-changing injuries, including leg amputations. The event became source of trouble for the park, as the general public were outraged at the lack-lustre security of the ride.

Luna Park explosion

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New York City's Luna Park experienced tragedy during 1943, when an explosion occurred at the park. The explosion led to the death of many park patrons, and severely injured many more. It is unclear what the source of the explosion was, and it left the park with significant damage.

Wildcat Roller Coaster accident

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Another tragedy that occurred at Pennsylvania's Hersheypark, was the 1978 Wildcat Rollercoaster accident, which led to the death of three people. The accident also caused a range of injuries, and was shocking and distressing for the victims and various onlookers.

Tidal Wave accident

Image Source: Coaster Kings

During 1978, California's Six Flags Magic Mountain experienced tragedy, when its Tidal Wave ride overturned. The incident caused one fatality, and a varying range of injuries for others involved. This event just adds to the list of tragedies, that various Six Flags locations have suffered from.

Darien Lake Theme Park fire

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New York's Darien Lake Theme Park became the source of tragedy during 1981, after a fire at the park broke out, and resulted in one person's death and the injury of many other patrons. The fire caused significant damage to the park, and left many people shaken.

Tivoli fire

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Another fire-based tragedy that occurred, was within Copenhagen's (Denmark) Tivoli Park, during 1944. The fire caused the death of ten people, and injured countless more. The source of the fire remained a mystery, and it caused a shocking amount of damage to the park.

Tower Of Terror accident

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California's Disney Adventure Park had to deal with tragedy during 1997, after its Tower Of Terror ride malfunctioned, causing several injuries. Fortunately, there were no fatalities reported, but the injuries caused had varying severity, with some requiring hospitalization.

Himalaya Ride accident

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A ride accident occurred during 1984, when Massachusetts' Riverside Park experienced a ride malfunction. The park's Himalaya Ride was the source of an accident, which injured multiple passengers. Luckily, there were so major fatalities, but some of the injuries required medical attention.

Crystal Beach Cyclone accident

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Another incident that occurred within Canada (during 1938), involved Crystal Beach's Cyclone ride, which became the source of an accident. The accident caused the death of three people, and caused various injuries to other riders. The event was highly distressing for everyone involved.

Top Spin accident

Image Source: Coasterpedia

During 2007, Russia's Top Spin ride malfunctioned, and caused the death of one person. The incident also caused the injury of many others, and left people shocked, distressed and outraged. The ride's malfunction, seems to have been caused by an internal operation error.

Gulliver's Land accident

Image Source: YouTube

Gulliver's Land in the UK experienced tragedy during 1998, after a roller coaster accident occurred. There were no major fatalities, but the accident did cause varying injuries to the people involved. It was an unexpected accident that left the riders completely shaken.

Beech Bend Park Ferris Wheel accident

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Beech Bend Park in Kentucky became the source of tragedy, after its Ferris Wheel ride experienced an accident (2009). The accident didn't cause any major fatalities, but it left several people injured. The injuries all varied in severity, and left the riders extremely distressed.

Tower Of Power accident

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Another incident involving the Tower Of Power ride, occurred at Six Flags Over Texas during 2007. The accident resulted in the death of a teenager, and countless other injuries. Unfortunately, this incident just adds to the list of tragedies, that have occurred at at Six Flags location.

Jetline Roller Coaster accident

Image Source: Reuters

This final incident only occurred this year (2023), and happened at Grona Lund, Sweden. Grona Lund's Jetliner Coaster became partially derailed, which caused three people to fall from their carriage. Unfortunately, on of the victims died, whilst the other two passengers were left severely injured.