Israel
Israeli rollercoaster gets stuck mid-ride, leaving passengers hanging upside down
The Superland theme park said a passenger had pressed an emergency button, bringing the ride to a halt
October 2, 2023 10:38
1 min read
The Superland theme park said a passenger had pressed an emergency button, bringing the ride to a halt
October 2, 2023 10:38Visitors to an Israeli amusement park got more than they bargained for at the weekend when a rollercoaster came to a halt mid-ride, leaving passengers suspended upside down.
The Kumba rollercoaster, at Superland, in Rishon Lezion, near Tel Aviv, paused unexpectedly on Sunday afternoon after a rider onboard pressed an emergency button.
Video clips shared online showed the rollercoaster halted mid-ride just before it reached its peak height of 164 feet.
.timesofisrael.com%2F%3Fpost_type%3Dliveblog_entryp%3D3109504אימה בפארק: עשרות נתקעו על רכבת הרים בסופרלנד | תיעוד@hadasgrinberg pic.twitter.com/UjQK2EVm9z
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The park confirmed the ride was halted when an individual activated the emergency button.
Officials told reporters the ride was resumed after a short pause and went on to operate for the rest of the day.
The Kumba rollercoaster is a popular attraction at the park, transporting riders up to 50 metres high at speeds of 60 miles per hour.
Superland's website states: "If you do not have enough courage don’t you try to even get into this rollercoaster."
This was not the first time a ride has run into problems in an Israeli amusement park.
According to English-language Israeli news website Ynetnews, the popular Star ride at Luna Park in Tel Aviv was temporarily halted for a several hours after it encountered a problem in 2021.
The ride, which takes passengers up to 72 metres in the air, was eventually rectified and the terrified children onboard were safely return to solid ground.