One of world’s faster rollercoasters closed after riders left with broken bones
Amusement park says they want to express ‘deepest sympathies’ with those injured
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Your support makes all the difference.One of the fastest rollercoaster’s in the world has suspended operations after multiple reports of broken bones.
Four people in their 30s to 50s reported injuries after riding the Do-Dodonpa in Japan, which travels at 180km/h, over the space of around eight months, according to the local prefecture.
The passengers broke bones, including in their neck and back, on the ride at the Fuji-Q Highland amusement park, which has shut the Do-Dodonpa for inspections, local media reported.
The ride was closed on 12 August and will remain shut until further notice.
The Yamanashi prefecture in Japan announced four people have reported broken bones from the ride since the end of last year.
The Fuji-Q Highland park said the ride has closed for a “safety overhaul” but that a causal relationship between the injuries and ride has not yet been established.
According to local media, the Fuji-Q Highland park in Fujiyoshida, a city at the base of Mount Fuji, alerted the local prefecture of the incidents months after the first one occured in December.
The park reportedly looked into the ride after the first three incidents and found no safety issues with it.
After the fourth incident happened on 12 August, when a man suffered a compression fracture in his neck, the park suspended the ride and launched a full inspection of the attraction, according to Japanese newspaper Asahi.
The Do-Dodonpa has the highest acceleration out of any rollercoaster in the world, going from standstill to 180km/h in 1.56 seconds, according to the park.
Riders also go around a loop that has a diameter of just under 40k.
The Fuji-Q Highland park has expressed its “deepest sympathies” to those injured.
“We will endeavor to investigate the cause under the guidance of the government,” the park added in a statement.
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