A theme park ride in Saudi Arabia snapped in midair, sending riders tumbling to the ground and injuring at least 23 people.
Footage captured the moment the 360 Big Pendulum ride at Green Mountain Park, in the south-western city of Ta’if, broke apart and swung violently towards the ground.
Three people were critically injured in the incident, state media reported on Thursday.
In the video, which has been widely shared online, more than two dozen people strapped into chairs on the outside of a circular carousel can be seen being swung back and forth.
Moments later, as the ride gains speed on the upward swing, a cracking sound can be heard as the central pole suddenly splits.
It recoils at high speed, causing the carousel to smash into the other end of the pendulum, striking some of the riders.
The 360 Big Pendulum ride at Green Mountain Park in Saudi Arabia snapped in midair.Credit: X
Horrified screams can be heard as the platform comes crashing down. The safety harnesses largely appear to remain intact, however, and the riders appear to land still in their seats.
Local authorities in the Al-Hada area of Ta’if, near the city of Jeddah, have launched an investigation to determine the cause of the malfunction.
