1 Dead, Several Injured In US Roller Coaster Incident

One person has died and several others have been injured following an incident involving a roller coaster at Six Flags Over Georgia, a theme park in the United States.

Authorities have yet to disclose the circumstances surrounding the death or explain how the other victims sustained their injuries.

Cobb County Chairwoman Lisa Cupid confirmed the incident in a statement, saying detectives from the county’s major crimes unit were investigating the circumstances surrounding the tragedy.

Cupid said the deceased’s next of kin had been notified.

“A terrible tragedy occurred today at Six Flags Over Georgia,” she said.

“I cannot imagine the horror the patrons and employees witnessed today, and my heart aches for the family who lost a loved one,” she added.

A spokesperson for Six Flags told US media that the park and local authorities responded immediately to the incident, adding that the company was cooperating with officials investigating the case.

“We are deeply saddened by the guest incident at our park today,” the spokesperson said.

Following the incident, Six Flags temporarily closed nine similar roller coasters across six parks as a precautionary measure.

The company said the decision was taken “out of an abundance of caution”, although officials have yet to identify the ride involved in the Georgia incident.

Local media reports have identified the roller coaster as Goliath, one of the park’s major attractions.

According to the park’s website, Goliath reaches speeds of up to 70 miles per hour (113 kilometres per hour) and rises to a height of approximately 200 feet (61 metres).

The incident comes amid renewed scrutiny of the safety of some Six Flags attractions.

In September, the theme park operator reportedly decided to permanently close a popular roller coaster at its California park after dozens of people claimed they had suffered brain damage while riding the attraction.

Authorities have yet to establish the cause of Monday’s incident in Georgia or release further details about the victims and the injuries sustained.