Accident on Taron roller coaster Phantasialand opens as planned on Thursday after fatal accident
Brühl · An employee was killed while servicing a roller coaster at Phantasialand on Monday. While the authorities try to find out what happened, the park has addressed the public.
An employee was killed whilst performing maintenance work on the "Taron" roller coaster at Phantasialand in Brühl on Monday afternoon. According to initial findings by the Occupational Health and Safety Department of the District Government of Cologne, a member of the theme park’s technical team was hit by a ride and suffered serious head injuries. The employee died a short time later at the scene of the accident, the district government's press office said on Tuesday morning in response to a request from GA.
On Tuesday afternoon, Phantasialand announced that it would open for the new season on Thursday as planned. "The cause of the accident has nothing to do with the safety of the attraction or the park's visitors," the press release continued.
According to Dirk Schneemann, press officer for the district government, health and safety experts were on site on Monday to carry out initial investigations into how the accident happened. The investigations will continue. The district government is in close contact with both Phantasialand and the police. No further information can be given at the moment, the spokesman said. According to the Rhine-Erft district police, the accident happened at around 15:00 on Monday.
According to the Phantasialand press release, the victim was a long-time employee. "Immediately after the incident, active rescue measures were taken on site and the emergency services were immediately alerted. However, despite all efforts, our employee could not be helped," the statement continued. The company said it was supporting the victim's family "at this difficult time".
The "Taron" roller coaster is a so-called multi-launch coaster that accelerates several times like a catapult. It is located in Phantasialand's Mystery Theme World.
Original text: Antje Jagodzinski and Christoph Meurer
Translation: Jean Lennox
