1 dead, 60 injured after China's Detian Waterfall ride up mountain malfunctions

One person died and 60 others were injured after a ride at the famous Detian Waterfall in Guangxi, China malfunctioned.

The large waterfall sits on the border between China and Vietnam.

Its major attraction, the "Magic Carpet" ride, looks like a huge conveyor belt that allows people to sit on it and be ported up the mountain.

Transparent panels on both sides provide an unobstructed view of the scenic route.

Travellers on Aug. 10 (Singapore time) were in the midst of being ferried up the mountain when the ride suddenly stopped and began rapidly sliding downwards instead, according to Global Times.

Ride stopped

A statement from the attraction's management stated that the incident was the result of "equipment failure".

A malfunction occurred in a tourist project of the famous Detian Waterfall scenic area in S.China’s Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, resulting in the death of one person and injuries to 60 others. The project has since ceased operation. pic.twitter.com/Y1TCEVXQwL

— Global Times (@globaltimesnews) August 11, 2024

While the statement did not elaborate on the nature of the incident, someone on Xiaohongshu said people on the ride were flung backwards and collided with one another.

She added that there was "blood everywhere", with many people suffering broken bones and some being injured so badly that their faces turned purple.

Chinese news media reported that although passengers were reminded not to stand or lie down on the carpet, there were no safety belts or other protective measures in place on the ride.

According to Global Times, of the 60 people injured, one sustained serious injuries, while 59 others had minor injuries.

People rushing to get off

Videos of the incident soon began trending on the Chinese social media platform, Douyin.

The clips showed the scene in a state of chaos, with staff members aiding passengers who were rushing to exit the ride.

People were seen clinging to the sides and attempting to walk up the stalled conveyor belt, all the while worrying that they were going to slip and slide down.

Children were also present.

Management apologises

The attraction's management has apologised to those injured and expressed its "deepest condolences" on the death of the one passenger.

They added that the local authorities are investigating the cause of the accident and offering assistance to the injured.

Meanwhile, the ride has been closed for maintenance and equipment checks.

Top images via News and Tianyan News/Douyin