Worker dies after accident at Oktoberfest free-fall tower ride
A 52-year-old employee at a free-fall tower ride at Munich's Oktoberfest died after being struck by the gondola, police said.
A fatal accident at Munich's Oktoberfest has left one person dead, casting a shadow over the world-famous festival.
According to Munich police, the incident occurred around 9:50 p.m. on Monday at a free-fall tower ride, where passengers drop rapidly from a great height in a gondola. Emergency services and the fire department responded to the scene, and the area around the ride was cordoned off for a large-scale rescue operation.
The victim was a 52-year-old employee of the ride. Police said the man was allegedly too close to the gondola when he was struck and may have been crushed. He was resuscitated at the scene and taken to a Munich hospital with life-threatening injuries, where he later died.
A police spokesperson confirmed that only one person was injured in the incident and that the victim was an employee of the amusement ride. The spokesperson added that Munich Police Precinct 13 has begun investigating the circumstances of the accident.
Authorities said passengers on the ride were never in any danger.
The accident was the second incident involving a ride at the festival this year. Investigations into what led to the fatal collision are ongoing.