Just two days after a ferris wheel accident, a roller coaster at Gyeongju World has come to a halt, raising concerns over safety management.
On July 12, videos of the roller coaster stopping on the tracks began circulating rapidly on various online communities and social media.
The footage shows passengers waiting for rescue at a high altitude. Later clips capture safety personnel manually assisting in the evacuation of the riders.
The incident occurred on Gyeongju World's flagship roller coaster, Draken. At the time, the ride had stopped on the tracks for about 10 minutes just before entering a steep drop, leaving 24 passengers suspended in the air. Safety personnel were able to manually operate the ride's controls to safely evacuate all passengers, with no injuries reported.
In response to the video, some online users commented, "It seems the foreign object detection sensor activated, causing the ride to stop just before the drop. If it was indeed due to a foreign object, then the safety mechanism functioned properly," while others noted, "It looks like it stopped before the steep drop rather than during it," and "If the system operates with segment sensors, this could be an example of the safety device working as intended." However, other users expressed concern, stating, "It's problematic that this happened right after the ferris wheel accident," and "Shouldn't all rides undergo a safety inspection?" They also remarked on the fear of being stuck at such a height for 10 minutes in hot weather, adding, "It's a relief that no one was hurt," and questioned whether operational priorities were placed above safety.
In light of the incidents, Gyeongju World announced an official statement, declaring a temporary closure from July 12 to 16 for safety inspections.
During the closure, the park will conduct thorough safety checks through external experts and provide safety training for all staff. They will also issue a formal apology and offer full refunds to customers with reservations. However, the California Beach water park will continue to operate as usual.
Previously, on July 9, a cabin from the large ferris wheel, Time Rider, fell and collided with two other cabins, resulting in five passengers requiring hospital treatment. Following that incident, the city of Gyeongju requested urgent safety inspections for all amusement rides.
However, with another roller coaster incident occurring during ongoing safety checks, discussions regarding Gyeongju World's overall safety management system are likely to continue for the foreseeable future.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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