Visitors Broken Bones, The World's Fastest Roller Coaster Rides Do-Dodonpa Closes

Do-Dodonpa roller coaster in Fuji-Q Highland. (Source: coasterpedia.net)

JAKARTA - A roller coaster ride in Japan, which is said to have the fastest acceleration in the world, has been closed indefinitely following reports that many riders were seriously injured.

Citing the BBC's August 26, Fuji-Q Highland amusement park, where the rides are located, said four customers suffered fractures on the "Do-Dodonpa" ride between December 2020 and August 2021.

Meanwhile, other passengers have reported experiencing fractures of the neck, chest and bones. In a statement, the park said the rides had been closed "due to security improvements".

Meanwhile, responding to this incident, the Governor of Yamanashi, Kotaro Nagasaki criticized the management, citing failure to take precautions

"If they had reported it earlier and had taken appropriate action, some of the accidents might have been prevented," Nagasaki said in a press release July 20, reported The New York Times.

According to the Yamanashi Prefectural Government, the four incidents occurred between men and women between the ages of 30-50. All had "significant injuries", including cervical and thoracic spine fractures.

Do-Dodonpa roller coaster at Fuji-Q Highland. (Source: coasterpedia.net)

Thoracic spine fractures can require up to three months in the hospital. Although the injuries occurred over an eight-month period between December and August, they were only reported to officials last week.

Meanwhile, sansei Technologies, the Osaka-based company that built the rollercoaster, issued an apology to all the injured riders.

The company warned that the link between the injuries and the trip was 'not confirmed' and they would now await the conclusion of an investigation by local authorities.

Separately, a spokeswoman for Fuji-Q Highland, Kimie Konishi, revealed that the operator immediately checked the track and speed of the roller coaster after there were reports of injured visitors. However, no problems were found.

First opened in 2001, the ride was renovated in 2017 and can go from 0 to 180 km/h (112 mph) in just 1.56 seconds. Park management noted that this was the first report of injuries since the ride was operational two decades ago.

Despite the impact of the coronavirus pandemic in Japan and the recent significant increase in cases. This amusement park has been open since June 2020.

To note, Fuji-Q Highland is one of many parks that seek to limit visitors, only reopening outdoor attractions.