A 52-year-old employee has died after a serious accident at a ride during Munich’s Oktoberfest. The man was struck by a gondola at a Free Fall Tower while it was travelling downward at high speed, according to initial findings by police.
The employee was on the ground directly within the ride’s danger zone when the gondola descended. He was hit by the moving gondola and suffered life-threatening injuries. Emergency responders resuscitated the man before he was taken to hospital. He later died from his injuries. Police have not yet established why he was in the restricted area while the ride was operating.
Following the accident, the area around the Free Fall Tower was extensively cordoned off as emergency services responded. A crisis intervention team was also brought in to support witnesses and the ride’s operators. According to police, passengers were not in danger at any point during the incident. Investigators are now working to determine how the accident happened and why the employee was in an area where he was not supposed to be. Police have also appealed to anyone who witnessed the accident to come forward with information.
The fatal accident was the second incident involving an Oktoberfest ride since the weekend. On Saturday evening, passengers on another ride were left hanging upside down for around two minutes before being released from their seats. The ride was later checked by TÜV and allowed to resume operation after a suspected sensor malfunction.
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