Detian waterfall in Southern China was the site of a horrible tragedy that resulted in the death of one tourist and injured 60 others. The cause was the malfunction of a ride on August 10th.
The Detian Waterfall is Asia’s largest transnational waterfall and spans two countries, Vietnam and China. It is located in the Guangxi region, China’s southern border, and Vietnam. It is the fourth-largest waterfall in the world and is a very popular tourist destination for both countries.
At the waterfall, there is a ‘Magic Carpet’ ride which is a conveyor belt that visitors can sit on as it goes uphill, enabling the visitors to enjoy the scenic view.
The Tragedy
At 1:56 P.M. on Saturday, the ride, instead of moving upward, moved backwards causing passengers to tumble downhill and eventually led to a crowd crush due to everyone crashing into each other.
Emergency services were rushed to the area and many were transported to nearby hospitals to ensure that further medical attention would be provided. Unfortunately, the malfunction fatally injured one tourist and injured 60 others, with one visitor bearing serious injuries.
Witness Statements
A witness who was on the Magic Carpet at the time of the tragedy took to social media and later talked to the Global Times to talk about the incident. “It suddenly stopped and started sliding down. The crowd in front and behind collided due to inertia and piled up together. The safety panels on both sides were also broken at that time.”, the witness said.
Another witness said that he heard many people screaming and that the Magic Carpet kept running, even though some people were stuck and the skin on their arms was being peeled off.
A different witness stated that her mobile phone was flung out of her hands due to the intensity with which the ride descended backwards and left her with multiple abrasions on her body.
The Aftermath
The Magic Carpet ride has been suspended temporarily and the scenic area has been closed. The visitors who had tickets through online bookings would receive full refunds through the platform from which they originally purchased them.
The management of the attraction, through a statement, expressed their “deepest condolences” to the family of the deceased tourist and apologised to the visitors who sustained injuries.
Prior Malfunctions
Unfortunately, this is not the first time the tourist attraction has malfunctioned. In January 2023, a similar accident occurred resulting in some visitors sustaining minor injuries. While this malfunction sparked concerns regarding the safety of the Magic Carpet ride, the ride resumed its functioning after two hours as it was swiftly repaired.
