Eight injured in Roller coaster collision at Happy Valley Shenzhen theme park

At least 8 people were injured as a roller coaster collision occurred at Happy Valley Shenzhen on Friday, a popular theme park destination.

According to Shenzhen's Emergency Management Bureau, the collision between two roller coaster vehicles happened at the theme park at around 6:27 pm on Friday and the injured individuals have been transported to the hospital for treatment.

"Their conditions are stable, and there is no immediate danger to their lives," said a statement from the bureau.

The University of Hong Kong–Shenzhen Hospital has confirmed that it received multiple injured individuals from the roller coaster incident. Due to the urgent nature of their conditions, the emergency ward has been actively attending to the patients, resulting in a waiting time of approximately four hours for those seeking medical attention at the scene.

In response to the incident, the theme park had announced the closure of the park for two days, from Oct 28 to Oct 29, in order to conduct a comprehensive safety inspection. Visitors who have purchased tickets can obtain a full refund through the original ticket channel.

Local media outlets have revealed that the roller coaster involved in the incident, named "Snowy Eagle", was an extravagant investment costing approximately 200 million Chinese yuan. This particular roller coaster stands as one of Asia's tallest and longest catapult-style roller coasters, according to the official website of Happy Valley Shenzhen.

Wei Shuyan, a professor at Northeast University School of Humanities and Social Science, emphasized the importance of emergency preparedness, stating, "The roller coaster rear-end incident is an emergency, and amusement park managers should promptly investigate the cause of the incident, identify and rectify safety risks to prevent further incidents. The relevant government administrative departments should also fulfill their responsibilities and ensure effective safety supervision."

She added, "We need to prioritize safety precautions and ensure proper safety measures in urban entertainment facilities, as they are fundamental and crucial for enhancing public security."

Wang Tianhuai contributed to this story.