Dreamworld: 'Horrific scenes' as four killed in tragedy on Thunder River Rapids ride

Terror: Witnesses told of their horror as four people died on ride
Dan Peled/EPA

Witnesses today told of “horrific scenes" as four people were killed in an accident at a theme park in Australia today.

Police confirmed the four adults died on a ride at Dreamworld on the Gold Coast in Queensland.

Six people were thought to have been on the Thunder River Rapids ride when one of the cars capsized in the tragedy.

The victims, two women and two men aged between 32 and their early 40s, are believed to be from the same extended family.

The incident occurred at around 2.20pm local time when a gondola flipped over as it was close to the end of the ride. Victims were then trapped by the underwater conveyor belt.

The scene was so disturbing that ambulance staff were “deeply affected” by the accident and have been offered counselling.

One woman said a girl was being comforted, crying hysterically that her mother was trapped on the ride.

She said: “There were just police and lifeguards everywhere. I spoke to a guy and he said he looked behind and the whole thing has flipped over.”

A man, who declined to be named, told the Brisbane Courier Mail a girl was pulled from the ride just before it flipped over.

Dreamworld Theme Park

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Another witness, Leah Capes, said: “The kids and people in there were screaming. It all happened so quickly. There were heaps of people crying, it all happened so fast.”

Shocked US Olympic gold medallist Matthew Centrowitz said he had been on the ride just a few minutes before the accident.

Dreamworld said it was acting “quickly to establish the facts around the incident and is working closely with emergency authorities and police to do this”, while Gold Coast mayor Tom Tate called it “a very sad day for our city”.

Queensland Ambulance spokesman Gavin Fuller said the ride had “sustained some sort of malfunction” that caused “two people to be ejected from the ride, another two people were caught inside the ride”.

He said: “They were assessed by Queensland ambulance personnel and had all sustained injuries that were incompatible with life.”

Dreamworld chief executive Craig Davidson said he was “deeply shocked and saddened by this and our hearts and our thoughts go to the families involved and to their loved ones”.

Australia’s prime minister Malcolm Turnbull said: “This is a very, very sad and tragic event. Our thoughts and prayers are with the families of those who lost their lives. Theme parks are a place for family fun and happiness, not tragedy.

“We trust there will be a very thorough investigation into the causes of this incident in the days that follow.”

Dreamworld staff drained the water and desperately attempted to administer first aid before paramedics arrived.

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