Thankfully, nobody died.

Snapped in Half

Terrifying video footage going viral on social media shows an amusement park ride splitting in half and collapsing in western Saudi Arabia.

The video shows the "360 Big Pendulum" ride failing dramatically, sending passengers crashing to the ground.

As ABC News reports, the incident occurred in the city of Taif, roughly a 2.5-hour drive east of Jeddah. More than 20 people were injured, forcing the entire amusement park, Green Mountain Resort, to close temporarily.

Local officials have since started an investigation. It's unclear how many of the victims had to be hospitalized. According to USA Today, three people were critically injured.

The horrific incident may be hard to watch — but fortunately, according to experts, the chances of being involved in something similar remain extremely low.

Safety First

It's exceedingly rare for amusement park rides to fail and cause injuries, at least in the US.

According to the International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions, the "chance of being seriously injured on a fixed-site ride at a US amusement park is 1 in 15.5 million rides taken."

Deaths are even more rare, but not unprecedented. A rollercoaster derailment at Sweden's oldest amusement park caused one woman in her 30s to plunge to her death, while two others received serious injuries.

There have also been sporadic reports of explosions, heart attacks, electrocutions, and fires on amusement park rides.

So while the graphic footage may have you thinking twice about going back to an amusement park, the chances of something bad happening are still astronomically low.

"Incidences that are extremely severe are very rare in our industry," Jim Seay, president of attractions manufacturer Premier Rides, told USA Today in 2023, explaining that they draw attention "because it is so rare."

More on theme park disasters: Water Park Explodes


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