An amusement park ride in India ended in disaster, and the entire ordeal was caught on camera by dismayed onlookers.
Watch: India amusement park ride crashes
Drop towers are one of the most popular rides at amusement parks.
In particular, the gut-wrenching feeling that overwhelms the pit of one’s stomach when the tower plunges at high speeds fuels daredevils and, at this amusement park in Punjab, India, scores of eager passengers were ready for a dose — except, things would not “go down” so well.
As reported by NDTV, the India amusement park ride crash occurred in Mohali, Punjab, at approximately 21:15 (17:15 CAT) on Sunday evening.
It’s believed at least 50 riders were on board the circular platform when ascended to the sky, sending children as young as 10 years old into the air as it spun around the tower.
Onlookers who had their phones out to film what was supposed to be a classic amusement park spectacle watched on with bated breath as the platform stood still in the air for seconds.
Then, seemingly out of the blue, the circular platform came crashing down. It’s unclear what the mechanics of the instrument are, but somehow, the ride’s magnetic brakes which, according to Let’s Talk Science, work in conjunction with hydraulic cylinders or air-pressurized brakes, malfunctioned.
In a tweet posted after the incident surfaced on social media, Indian journalist Nikhil Choudhary confirmed an estimated 16 riders, which included women and children, were rushed to a nearby hospital for serious treatment.
Miraculously, no fatalities were recorded in the incident.
Amusement park organisers cited technical issues as the likely cause of the epic blunder and confirmed that the matter has since been handed over to local authorities for further investigation.
Here is video footage of the amusement park ride crash that occurred in Punjab, India, this past weekend: