A roller coaster ride in Chennai left 30 people, including children, stranded mid-air for three hours due to a technical failure. A rescue was launched late, sparking outrage over park safety and emergency preparedness.
What started as a fun evening at an amusement park on Chennai’s East Coast Road turned into a nightmare when a roller coaster named Topgun suddenly came to a halt, mid-air, nearly 50 feet above ground.
At around 6 PM on Monday, around 30 people, including 8 children and 10 women, were left stranded on the ride, hanging helplessly in the air. For nearly three hours, panic set in as screams echoed through the park. A video of the incident, now viral, shows terrified riders clinging to their seats, crying and pleading for help.
Eyewitnesses said they heard a loud bang just before the roller coaster froze. Initial rescue efforts failed, park staff tried to use a crane, but it could not reach the stranded passengers. Help finally arrived when a specialised sky-lift vehicle was rushed in from Guindy.
It was only by 8:30 PM that fire officials, along with police and medical teams, were able to begin the painstaking rescue. Riders were carefully brought down one by one, given water and biscuits, and checked for injuries. Thankfully, none of the riders suffered serious harm.
But the ordeal has sparked widespread outrage. Preliminary findings suggest the ride had not been properly maintained, and mechanical faults had gone unaddressed. A police case has been filed, and authorities have launched a detailed investigation into the park’s safety practices, or lack thereof.
Angry parents and social media users are demanding accountability, calling out the park for poor emergency planning and the absence of trained rescue staff. As investigations continue, many are asking a difficult question: how safe are our amusement parks?