Four dead after accident at Australian theme park
Police have confirmed that four people have died after an accident on a water ride at a theme park in Australia.
It happened at the Dreamworld park on the Gold Coast.
Queensland Police say there were called to the site at Coomera, around 2.20pm local time, following reports that a number of people had been injured by a conveyor belt.
They confirmed that four adults, two men and two women, had died in the incident.
Queensland state police spokesman Kieran Self said they did not yet have any detailed information about the accident.
Aerial footage of the park showed paramedics at the rapids ride, which whisks riders in circular rafts along a fast-moving, man-made river.
9 News reporter, Carrie-Anne Greenbank, is at the Dreamworld theme park on the Gold Coast and she said six people were on the raft at the time of the accident.
She said: "As the raft slipped on a conveyor belt, four of them have been trapped underneath and two of them have managed to jump free.
"There are horrific scenes down here, you've got police, firefighters, ambulances and a chaplin has arrived. People have been evacuated and the Dreamworld park has been shut down."
The Queensland Ambulance Service said paramedics were on the scene.
The park said in a statement: "Dreamworld is working as quickly as possible to establish the facts around the incident and is working closely with emergency authorities and police to do this."
Queensland police said they were called to the scene following reports that several people had been injured by a conveyor belt.
"This is a very sad day for our city," Gold Coast Mayor Tom Tate said: "Our thoughts are with the families of those affected - and the emergency staff in attendance."
