One dead and several hurt after rollercoaster incident at Six Flags

A fatal incident occurred at Six Flags Over Georgia, an amusement park in Georgia, resulting in one death and multiple injuries. The Cobb County Police Department is currently investigating the incident, which took place near Atlanta, according to CBS news partner CBS. However, the exact location of the ride remains unclear, as aerial footage from news helicopters revealed the Goliath rollercoaster, currently stuck, with workers aiding passengers in exiting.

Six Flags Over Georgia expressed deep sorrow over the incident, extending condolences to the victim's family, friends, and loved ones. The cause of the fatality remains undisclosed. Witnesses reported seeing a man thrown from the ride, which allegedly fell onto a haunted house attraction, a claim not verified by the BBC. The park's spokesperson confirmed that immediate response was made by their team and local authorities, who are cooperating in the ongoing investigation.

Mableton Mayor Michael Owens stated that his public safety director is coordinating with local police and park security to manage the situation. The Goliath rollercoaster, opened in 2006, boasts a 200ft elevation, a 170ft drop, a 540-degree spiral, and a maximum speed of 70mph. With a 'thrill scale' rating of 4 out of 5 on Six Flags' intensity scale, the ride stands as the fourth most intense among their offerings.

The park, which is the largest amusement park operator in North America with 20 parks, 14 water parks, and nine resorts spread across Canada, the US, and Mexico, reported that the incident occurred just weeks after their southern California park announced the closure of the X2 roller coaster due to alleged brain injuries sustained by over 100 riders.

Despite passing various safety tests, the decision to retire the X2 was made to ensure rider safety.