World’s most horrific theme park tragedies – from haunted house fires to rollercoaster crashes and rides that decapitated people

THRILLSEEKERS across the world flock to theme parks to experience the excitement of the high-octane rides.

Rollercoasters and other attractions provide many people with an adrenaline rush they can’t get in their normal lives without putting themselves in danger.

Coaster connoisseurs across the globe pay to experience the thrill of flying or falling off a building without ever being in harm’s way.

But despite the assurances of the companies that run them, theme park rides are not always as safe as you might like to believe.

And when you think about it, hurtling along at 100mph on a ride that whisks you hundreds of feet into the air may not seem like the safest pursuit.

Tragedy has struck on numerous occasions around the world since such attractions were invented.

People have been killed and others left with life-changing injuries after safety systems have tragically failed.

Here is a list of some of the worst theme park disasters of all time…

Twister ride at Lightwater Valley theme park, Ripon, UK

A seven-year-old boy fell 30 feet from the Twister ride at Lightwater Valley in Ripon, North Yorkshire, yesterday.

His mum "screamed hysterically" as her son dangled from the roller coaster before falling.

The young boy was transported to Leeds General Infirmary and is being treated for non-life threatening injuries.

Passengers are strapped into the ride by a lap bar and one witness said he saw the boy was outside of the restraints.

It comes 18 years after Durham University student Gemma Savage, 20, died when two carriages collided on the same Twister ride.

The Big Dipper at Battersea Park Fun Fair, UK

Five people were killed and 13 injured on May 30, 1972, when a train being hoisted up the track on the Big Dipper ride at Battersea Park Fun Fair broke loose.

With 31 people on board, the three-car wooden train suddenly detached from the steel drive train holding it on the wooden track.

The carriages rolled backwards despite the efforts of the brakeman and the last carriage derailed and flew off the track and into a wooden hoarding, according to witnesses.

It was the worst rollercoaster tragedy in history.

Space Journey at Ecoventure Valley, China

Six people were killed and ten others seriously injured in an accident on the Space Journey Ride in Shenzhen, South-eastern China, in June 2010.

One of the 11 spinning capsules on the simulated rocket launch detached and went flying around the dome of the indoor ride, bouncing off the walls and starting an electrical fire.

It also crashed into the other carriages before plummeting 50ft to the ground below.

More than 40 people were on board the ride at the time.

Haunted Castle at Six Flags, USA

Eight people were killed in a tragic fire on the Haunted Castle at Six Flags in Jackson, New Jersey, on May 11, 1984.

All the fatalities were teenagers from the same group of nine who had entered the attraction together.

The tragic group got trapped and died of smoke inhalation.

Their charred bodies were so badly burned that initially they were believed to be mannequins when found by firefighters sifting through the wreckage.

Thunder River Rapids at Dreamworld, Australia

Four people were killed on the Thunder River Rapids ride at Dreamworld when one of the rafts flipped over, crushing the passengers, on October 25, 2016.

Kate Goodchild, 32, her brother Luke Dorsett, 35, his partner, Roozi Araghi, 38, and Cindy Low, 42, all lost their lives in the tragedy.

Kate’s daughter Ebony, who was 12 at the time, and Cindy’s son Kieran, then 10, were miraculously thrown to safety.

But Kieran was said to have been left traumatised after watching his mum die before his eyes.

Smiler at Alton Towers, UK

On June 2, 2015, a full train on the Smiler ride at Alton Towers collided with an empty test car, causing serious injuries to a number of riders.

Two teenagers – Vicky Balch and Leah Washington – had to have their legs amputated after the crash.

Leah’s boyfriend Joe Pugh’s knees were shattered by the blow while Vicky’s boyfriend Daniel Thorpe suffered a broken leg and punctured lung in the horror, said to have been equivalent to a 90mph car crash.

Alton Towers’ owner Merlin Attractions Operations Ltd was prosecuted by the Health and Safety Executive at North Staffordshire Justice Centre on April 22, 2016, and fined £5million for health and safety breaches.

Fujin Raijin at Expoland, Japan

One woman was killed and 19 others hurt when the Fujin Raijin rollercoaster at Expoland in Osaka malfunctioned on May 5, 2007.

Yoshino Kogowara, 19, died instantly when her head struck a guardrail after the carriage derailed because of a broken wheel.

Investigators pored over every inch of the track and eventually found fault in an axle that had not been replaced in 15 years.

Three employees at the park were charged with professional negligence resulting in death and injury and falsely claiming the park conducted regular checks on the roller coaster. They were found guilty on all charges.

Mindbender ride at West Edmonton Mall, Canada

Three people lost their lives and four more were seriously hurt in an accident on the Mindbender rollercoaster at West Edmonton Mall in Canada on June 14, 1986.

The train had been hurtling along at over 60mph when one car derailed and struck a pillar, throwing its four passengers to the concrete floor 25ft below.

The ride was the biggest indoor triple-loop rollercoaster in the world – and had also been billed as one of the world's safest rides.

It shut down for more than a year and, after safety modifications, remains open to this very day.

Hydro at Oakwood, UK

A 16-year-old girl was killed after being thrown from her carriage by the G-force on the Hydro water coaster at Oakwood in Wales on April 15, 2004.

Hayley Williams fell 100ft into the water below in front of her horrified family as the car passed over the top of the ride before going into its hair-raising descent.

The park was fined £250,000 after a report found employees weren't regularly carrying out the necessary safety checks on passengers’ restraints.

The ride is still open but has been renamed Drenched – despite the victim’s family calling for it to be shut.

Verruckt at Schlitterbahn Waterpark, USA

Caleb Schwab, 10, was decapitated by the world’s tallest water slide Verruckt during a visit to Schlitterbahn Water Park in Kansas City in August 2016.

The schoolboy and two women he did now know went down the 168ft-tall ride in a raft.

But the ride slammed violently, causing Caleb to break his neck – with witnesses saying he was decapitated – and the two other women suffering minor injuries.

Schlitterbahn announced in November 2016 that the slide would be permanently closed.

We pay for your stories! Do you have a story for The Sun Online news team? Email us at tips@the-sun.co.uk or call 0207 782 4368