The identities of six people killed in an amusement ride crash at OCT East Ecoventure Valley theme park Tuesday (June 29) afternoon were confirmed yesterday.
The deceased were two men and four women aged between 24 and 48. A further 10 people who were injured are all now in a stable condition, the Shenzhen government information office said yesterday.
They are being treated at Shenzhen People's Hospital, Shenzhen No. 2 People's Hospital and Yantian People's Hospital.
OCT East had closed the theme park yesterday for a thorough inspection of all facilities and apologized to the public for the worst accident in the company's history.
It is still unclear what caused the accident.
The Space Journey ride was spinning 12 carriages, each carrying four people, around a centrifuge to allow riders to experience 2G of acceleration the same speed as a rocket blasting off when tragedy struck at 4:45 p.m. Tuesday.
According to witness accounts, the ride lost power and one of the carriages came loose, striking the others and leading to the collapse of the entire ride.
A female tourist, identified as Chang from Henan Province, suffered fractures to her arms and legs in the accident. She said she smelled burning rubber during the ride, just prior to the electricity cutting out.
"It was dark and then we heard a big crash before we were thrown out of our seats. It was a mess and there was oil and blood on our bodies and faces," Chang said.
Guangdong Party chief Wang Yang and Governor Huang Huahua ordered an investigation into the cause of the crash.
Ecoventure Valley, known for its thrill rides, is one of two theme parks at OCT East, which also encompasses three "town centers," four large hotels and two golf courses.
OCT Group is listed on the Shenzhen stock market and is one of China's largest developers of visitor attractions and resorts.
Shares in Shenzhen Overseas Chinese Town Holdings Co., the parent company of OCT East, tumbled by 9.84 percent yesterday on the Shenzhen Stock Exchange.
