Stockholm theme park closes Jetline ride for good after deadly accident
The Jetline ride, which was the site of an accident last summer which left one dead and seven injured, will be closed for good, Gröna Lund's CEO Jan Eriksson said on Friday.
"With respect for the accident and everyone involved, we've decided to close Jetline for good," Eriksson told a press conference.
The park was heavily criticised in a new report from Sweden's Accident Investigation Authority (SHK), for among other things not checking the ride sufficiently when it was delivered from the manufacturers in 2019.
"We have fully assisted SHK's investigation and welcome their final report," Eriksson said. "It's important for those affected and their families, and for us at Gröna Lund."
"Something like this has never happened at Gröna Lund and it will never happen again," he added.
The accident last summer was caused by a faulty support arm on the rollercoaster, which the manufacturer had ordered from a subcontractor without the park's knowledge. The subcontractor made a number of errors in production, including welding errors carried out by a worker who lacked formal welding qualifications.
SHK argues that Gröna Lund did not set clear enough requirements when ordering the rollercoaster and should have checked it more closely when it arrived.
"I can't answer exactly how the manufacturer has misunderstood our design, it's better to put that question to them," Eriksson said.
"But in light of the accident we can see that we should have been present to a much greater degree during the entire manufacturing process in order to minimise the risk of those faults appearing."
He added that the park would be carrying out all of SHK's recommendations in light of the accident, with some measures involving orders and reserve parts already in place.
"We've been working intensively since the accident to ensure our routines and way of working on all attractions is up to scratch," he said. "With the knowledge we have from this accident, we feel safe opening the park."
Three companies, including Gröna Lund, are also suspected of three crimes: grovt vållande till annans död, grovt vållande till kroppsskada and framkallande av fara för annan, which translate roughly as aggravated involuntary manslaughter, aggravated causing of bodily harm and causing danger to others.
"We've been notified that we are suspected of a crime and have been appointed a defence lawyer, but the investigation is still ongoing and we have not yet been asked to comment on the suspicions against us," Eriksson said.
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"With respect for the accident and everyone involved, we've decided to close Jetline for good," Eriksson told a press conference.
The park was heavily criticised in a new report from Sweden's Accident Investigation Authority (SHK), for among other things not checking the ride sufficiently when it was delivered from the manufacturers in 2019.
"We have fully assisted SHK's investigation and welcome their final report," Eriksson said. "It's important for those affected and their families, and for us at Gröna Lund."
"Something like this has never happened at Gröna Lund and it will never happen again," he added.
The accident last summer was caused by a faulty support arm on the rollercoaster, which the manufacturer had ordered from a subcontractor without the park's knowledge. The subcontractor made a number of errors in production, including welding errors carried out by a worker who lacked formal welding qualifications.
SHK argues that Gröna Lund did not set clear enough requirements when ordering the rollercoaster and should have checked it more closely when it arrived.
"I can't answer exactly how the manufacturer has misunderstood our design, it's better to put that question to them," Eriksson said.
"But in light of the accident we can see that we should have been present to a much greater degree during the entire manufacturing process in order to minimise the risk of those faults appearing."
He added that the park would be carrying out all of SHK's recommendations in light of the accident, with some measures involving orders and reserve parts already in place.
"We've been working intensively since the accident to ensure our routines and way of working on all attractions is up to scratch," he said. "With the knowledge we have from this accident, we feel safe opening the park."
Three companies, including Gröna Lund, are also suspected of three crimes: grovt vållande till annans död, grovt vållande till kroppsskada and framkallande av fara för annan, which translate roughly as aggravated involuntary manslaughter, aggravated causing of bodily harm and causing danger to others.
"We've been notified that we are suspected of a crime and have been appointed a defence lawyer, but the investigation is still ongoing and we have not yet been asked to comment on the suspicions against us," Eriksson said.
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